Mega Man X6: False Awakening
by Kyogre
Summary: An adaptation of MMX6, with a clearer progression and stroyline. "Nightmare" phenomena appear in the wake of the Eurasia Crisis, while X chases after an apparition of Zero. What is the connection? What is the mysterious Isoc's plan and how is Alia's colleague Gate involved?
1. They might as well have failed

/ / / / / / / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Summary:** An adaptation of MMX6. "Nightmare" phenomena appear in the wake of the Eurasia Crisis, while X chases after an apparition of Zero. What is the connection? What is the mysterious Isoc's plan and how is Alia's colleague Gate involved?**  
Warnings: **talking heads, Capcom Science, homoeroticism, aaaaaangst, OOC**  
Chapter: **Stage 01 "They might as well have failed..."

/ / / / / / / /

A giant crater and misshapen ruins were all that remained of the Space Colony Eurasia, diverted from its orbit on Sigma's orders and set to collide with the Earth. Although the planet had been saved by Zero, piloting a shuttle to crash into and destroy Eurasia, much of the planet had still suffered cataclysmic damage from falling fragments of the colony.

However, even Eurasia's destruction and the crash were not enough to kill Sigma, and Maverick Hunters X and Zero had fought him at the impact point. Their signals had vanished shortly after.

The heavy amounts of Maverick Virus at the crash site had prevented the Hunters from entering immediately, but a mission to retrieve X and Zero had been mounted as soon as it was deemed safe, though the area remained barely accessible to even Reploids.

So far, only one had been recovered.

"We've got X," a Lifesaver unit reported, his voice clipped. "His condition is stable. There is the usual battle damage, but he also suffered massive wound through his chest. He's being taken to Hunter Base now. We'll entrust his repairs to Dr. Light's capsule, as always."

"There's not much else we can do," Alia noted. "So many of X's systems can't be analyzed that we have little hope of repairing him ourselves."

Lifesaver frowned, but did not disagree. "We should issue a withdrawal order. The pollution from the explosion is making it difficult even for Reploids to work. It won't be too much longer before everyone begins to suffer serious malfunctions."

"But we haven't found Zero!" Alia protested.

"There's no guarantee he's alive," Lifesaver pointed out. "We found his Saber next to X. Logically, he should have been near those two, if he was anywhere at this site at all."

Alia knew that. She had thought of all these arguments herself. But she couldn't leave without at least trying. "If he's here and we leave him, then Zero may become too damaged for repairs." Or rather, his parts would, though Alia couldn't bring herself to say that.

"Even if we found him, what would we do with his parts? Zero is the same as X. His systems are a mystery." Lifesaver shook his head. "I looked at his records. When Zero was destroyed at the end of the first war, it was ultimately a Maverick working for Sigma who repaired him. Even Dr. Cain admitted he had been unable to do anything with Zero's parts."

As Alia tried to find some way to counter his point, Signas spoke for the first time, his voice carrying across the comm. "Alia," he said firmly, "return to base. Your systems are especially sensitive, as a Navigator. Coordinate the search and rescue efforts from here. We'll take another day, and then withdraw."

"...Yes, sir," Alia confirmed. She knew Signas had been lenient to even allow her to come to the crash site, despite a Navigator's place being at Hunter Base. Being here didn't increase her ability to assist the Hunters, but she had been unable to just remain behind and wait.

Lifesaver nodded to her, stiffly, and beamed out. Rather than follow him directly, Alia took a moment to gather herself. The entire Eurasia Crisis had been straining, and the uncertain fate of the heroes who had ended it was only making things worse.

A flash of something white caught her eye, making Alia pause.

"...It can't be," she muttered, moving toward the figure that appeared to be wandering among the rubble. "...Gate?"

The Reploid, clad in the white coat of a researcher, turned toward her, his eyes widening in surprise, and something else. "Alia," he greeted her. "Are you here with the Hunters? I heard you had joined."

"Yes, that's right. I'm a Navigator now," Alia replied. "I am here to assist with an ongoing mission."

"What happened? I heard they managed to avoid a collision... but it looks like they might as well have failed." He frowned, staring across the desolate scenery. "Are we supposed to be thankful for this?"

"They did everything they could!" Alia replied without thinking. "The Earth could have been destroyed if they hadn't..." She looked away, realizing how foolishly emotional she was acting. "Have you... seen anyone here? Or maybe some parts of a Reploid?" she asked instead.

"Parts?" Gate repeated, looking away as well. "No, nothing like that."

"You should probably leave this area," Alia told him. "It's dangerous here."

"Yes... I can't explain it, but I feel uneasy," Gate agreed. He turned and began to walk away. For a moment, Alia watched his back disappear among the rubble. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him to be careful or to look out for himself. But somehow, the distance between them felt too great.

"Alia," Signas's voice came over the comm. "Where are you? Return to base."

She didn't want to. She wanted to keep looking. But she knew she would follow orders, no matter how she felt about them. Her shoulders slumped. "Why am I always like this? Always just doing what I'm told?" she wondered to herself.

/ / / / / / / /

_"...E...x... X. Wake up, X. You're the only one left now. It's up to you. Get up now! X!"_

Someone was calling him.

"...E...x... X! Wake up!"

X opened his eyes. It took a moment for them to focus and see past the clear cover of his capsule. Alia had one hand pressed against the glass, her voice muffled as she called for X.

As he sat up, the capsule opened automatically. His body responded a little slowly, his systems taking a moment to update properly. Though he had been completely repaired, not everything was completely in place yet.

"A giant Maverick appeared suddenly in HORIE 2146 block," Alia explained, helping him to his feet. "I'll send the details later. Get to the scene quickly."

X had only taken enough time to equip his armor and take Zero's Saber before beaming to the location of the Maverick attack. Opening his eyes after the teleport, he almost missed a step as he realized where he was - back at the Eurasia crash site.

Of course, pieces of the colony littered an immensely wide area. This was unlikely to be anywhere close to the location of their latest battle with Sigma. X shook his head, trying to clear away the useless thoughts.

"I'm sorry to send you out like this," Alia's voice came over the comm. "I know your repairs were just finished. I didn't even have time to properly fix your Falcon Armor. But with the state the world is in, we're desperately short on Hunters."

"It's alright," X answered easily. "If anything, I'm sorry for landing myself in such a state at this crucial time."

Though she clearly wanted to contradict him, Alia bit back the pointless remarks and instead said, "The Mechaniloids working in this area suddenly went Maverick, though we had cleared the area of virus activity. You've been off the field for a while. Stay alert, X."

As if summoned by her words, part of a tower of rubble suddenly exploded outward, sending fragments flying everywhere, and a giant claw shoved itself through the opening.

X jumped back, automatically sending a Buster shot in the direction of the Mechaniloid. To his consternation, most of the blast was deflected away, leaving the claw undamaged. The machine had been designed to work under the most adverse conditions, and its shielding was top notch, something that was now going to make stopping it very difficult.

The claw writhed, apparently trapped among the metal beams that had once been part of Eurasia's internal structure.

"Sir! Over here!"

Glancing in the direction the voice had come from, X saw a pair of Hunters crouched behind a piece of rubble, both worse for wear. The relief in their faces was obvious as he dashed next to them.

"There's a giant Mechaniloid just beyond here," one explained. "It suddenly activated. We think it's from a radio wave problem."

"It acts like it's possessed," the other added quietly.

That was a strange comment from a Hunter. But X didn't have time to interrogate them. "I'll take care of this," X told them. "Return to Hunter Base."

As the two Hunters beamed out, X stepped back out into the open. The Mechaniloid had finally managed to rip its claw loose and create an opening for itself. The main body followed through, wobbling in the air as if its anti-gravity systems were malfunctioning. Backing away slowly, X studied its battered form. A small shadow trailing the main body caught his eye.

"Alia," he called out, "is that sphere...?"

"It's a transmitter," she confirmed. "It must be controlling the Mechaniloid. But why did it activate?"

"That doesn't matter," X said shortly, already charging his Buster. The Mechaniloid swung its claw, bringing it down where X had been standing. But the Hunter had already jumped away, circling around the giant machine to get a clear shot at the sphere bobbing just behind and above it.

The transmitter was not nearly as well shielded as the Mechaniloid itself. The single shot sent it spinning out of control, heavily damaged. X immediately followed up with another shot, tearing the metal orb to pieces and sending it falling out the sky.

Having lost its controller, the Mechaniloid itself crashed to the ground as well. Destabilized by  
the shockwave, the surrounding pieces of Eurasia began to fall like dominoes. Static passed over X's systems, caused by more than just the clouds of dust.

"Alia, do you read me?" he called out. "I think remnants of the virus may have been stirred up by that. I'm getting some strange readings..." X trailed off. "Alia?"

"...X... inter.. ce... can't..." Alia's voice was garbled. "...hear me? X? Are you there?"

"Yes, you're coming through now," he replied, though the transmission remained distorted.

"X, these readings are like what we got... right after Eurasia's crash," Alia told him, hesitating for a moment.

"From the impact site? You mean, before our battle with Sigma?" X said distractedly. The dust was beginning to settle, and he scanned his surroundings. The results were still mostly scrambled, but X could feel that something wasn't right. "It's the same..." he muttered as the space around him seemed to flicker and momentarily take on a purple hue. "The same strange phenomenon as back then."

The comm gave off a burst of static, and something flashed in the corner of his eye. A blurry shape dashed toward the downed Mechaniloid. It made a quick sweeping gesture, and the metal bulk lit up with heat as it overloaded and exploded.

The blast was too low in power to do more than push at X and slide harmlessly off his armor, but he reflexively threw up one arm to shield his face. Smoke and dust obscured his vision, but a strange glow began to filter through the haze.

The unknown figure stood with its back to X, its edges wavering like a mirage or a bad hologram and momentarily confusing its shape. Then, it flickered and was suddenly facing him.

It was...

"Z... Zero?!"

/ / / / / / / /

Notes:  
1) I'm abridging what actually happened at the end of X5. Half of it got retconned out of existence anyway. So whatever. EDIT (3/3/13): And also taking out a certain reference that doesn't work anymore.

2) About Dr. Light's capsule(s). I get why, in a video game, you get them spread all across stages. But that makes very little sense otherwise. So for this story, there's just one capsule. It's the one Dr. Cain originally found at Light's lab, where X was. (It probably got moved later.) When a war starts, X gets an armor from it. I find the idea of sadistic Doctor Light making X run around to gather parts kind of funny and all, but really.

3) I couldn't decide if "three weeks later" or "three years later" made less sense, so I decided to just omit all mention of time frames. This story starts later enough for X to have gotten fixed and for Gate to have resurrected his creations. (Which, according to the game, took him about a week. Nice.)

4) I try to keep as much of the original dialogue as possible, but quite a bit of it is shuffled around or edited to sound less like a rushed fan-translation patch.

5) Wow, I completely fail at Alia's character. Pfffffft.

/ / / / / / / /


	2. We will destroy the Zero Nightmare

/ / / / / / / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 02 "We will destroy the Zero Nightmare!"  
**Special Mention:** SilverHerron, mysteriousguy898, I love you two! Also, I guess I'll come clean: no matter how much I joke about homoeroticism, there is no actual gay. (There is no het either, despite Alia being the real second main character.)

/ / / / / / / /

"Z... Zero?!"

Alia's shocked exclamation mirrored X's feelings.

The strange figure that had struck down the Mechaniloid certainly looked like Zero. Or at least, it had his shape. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't even a Reploid. If anything, it resembled a hologram. The edges continually blurred, and static ran over its form. The entire thing was off color, as if put through a filter.

The bizarre energy that had saturated the area died down, making the mysterious figure stand out even more in X's sights.

"X..." Alia's voice came over the comm, staticy and clipped, "the readings I'm getting are..."

"I know," X replied. Raising his voice, he called out, "What are you? Who created you? What for?" The image of Zero flickered in and out, but there was no reply. "Answer me!"

As if a frame had been cut out, the apparition disappeared and then suddenly reappeared in a combat stance - Zero's combat stance, one hand reaching back for his saber. X's hand tightened around the real Saber in his hand.

Its voice, if it could be called that, cut across his systems, making X wince. "DESTROY... DESTROY... DESTROY YOU!" it 'said', the sensation akin to the screech of overstressed metal.

"...It can't talk normally?" X bit out, though he suspected Alia could no longer hear him.

Then, there was no time to think as it disappeared again, only to appear on top of him, phantom saber drawn and burning with the same ghostly light. X dashed to the side, barely avoiding the shockwave that followed the slash.

"BLUE... LIGHT... KILL... KILL!" it shrieked, grating against X's sensors; he wasn't even sure which ones.

The ghost raised its saber again, but before it could swing, a sphere of energy crashed into it, throwing the apparition into disarray. Its form twisted, half there, half not, and suddenly vanished.

"X, above you!" Alia called out suddenly, her transmission startlingly clear.

X's eyes darted up, instantly fastening on the large black shape that descended from the sky. It appeared to be a massive Reploid, floating just out of reach with his arms spread wide.

"I knew Zero was the cause of this," the Reploid intoned, his voice flat and emotionless.

"Who are you?" X demanded, the stranger's words setting him on edge.

"I am called High Max," the black Reploid replied. "I am investigating the Zero Nightmare."

"Zero... Nightmare...?" X repeated, half bemused, half incredulous. What did that even mean? The apparition just then? Had it appeared before?

High Max ignored him. "What is your connection to the Zero Nightmare?" he asked instead.

"What group do you belong to?" X shot back. "Who do you work for?"

High Max continued to regard him expressionlessly. Though, his model appeared to be one not capable of much expression. Had he been built recently? By whom?

"I am a Maverick Hunter, responding to the incident here. If you know something about the reason that Mechaniloid went Maverick, I will have to ask you come with me to the Hunter Base," X tried. "I want to know about this Zero Nightmare, too."

That drew a reaction. Energy began to gather in High Max's hands. "You are dangerous," he stated, beginning to rise. "I'll dispose of you."

He brought his hands together, the energy coalescing into a single giant sphere that shot toward X. The Hunter jumped out of the way, firing a charged shot at the giant. It reflected off harmlessly, not even tarnishing High Max's dark armor.

"Alia!" X called, dodging another energy blast.

"We have nothing on him!" she replied. "He doesn't exist in our database. His energy readings are also strange. We're blind here, X!"

That wasn't good. During his repairs, the data on the Reploids he had faced had been lost, as was often the case. His other armors were also out of commission. He had no other weapons except his Buster. No. He had one more. X gripped the Saber tighter, looking for an opening to close in on High Max. If his Buster didn't work, Zero's power might be enough.

But before he could attempt it, High Max drew back, floating further out of reach. The energy he had been channeling dissipated as he seemed to lose interest in the match.

"Unimpressive, Maverick Hunter," High Max declared. "You are not needed here. We will destroy the Zero Nightmare."

With only those cryptic words, he teleported out, leaving X staring at the sky. "What's happening?" X wondered. "Just what is the Zero Nightmare?" He shook his head. "Alia. I'm returning."

/ / / / / / / /

The Hunter Base was in an uproar when X arrived, more so than when he had left. This wasn't the hurried chaos that followed in the wake of the Eurasia Crisis, of too much that needed to be done urgently and not enough people to do it. This was wild agitation and upheaval.

Alia barely glanced at him as he entered. Signas was already there, looking up at the giant screen with a set expression.

The image displayed was of a Reploid researcher, modeled on a distinguished older man. "It's broadcasting across the world. The message data ids him as Isoc," Alia said tersely, as the Reploid on screen gestured grandly.

"This message is for all the Reploids of the world!" he began his speech. "These are chaotic, disturbing times. A 'Nightmare' is upon us! It shows us strange dreams... no, nightmares! The Nightmare phenomenon confuses Reploids and even causes malfunction or self-termination. It is said that the Nightmare phenomena are caused by... the ghost of the ace Maverick Hunter, Zero..."

"What?!" X burst out. "What is he saying?!"

"Wait, X," Alia cautioned distractedly. "Let him finish."

Scowling, X fell silent and listened as Isoc continued.

"It comes from the wreckage of Eurasia. So many of us were already wiped out in the Crisis. Were those sacrifices not enough?" He paused and shook his head regretfully. "To study these Nightmare phenomena, we have dispatched eight investigators to the suspected areas. They will uncover the Nightmare's mysteries."

X glanced at Alia, wondering exactly who this Isoc was and what group he was supposed to represent. This sort of thing would usually fall under Maverick Hunter jurisdiction. An area deemed dangerous would be sealed off by the government, and trespassing by any civilians, no matter their intentions, would be seen as a crime. But in the wake of the Eurasia Crisis, the government was in shambles, scattered across underground bunkers, and the Hunters were stretched to the point of breaking.

X only wished he could trust this sudden assistance. Alia's quick head shake, showing they had no information on Isoc, only deepened his suspicions.

"Now! Unite with us and help our cause! Work with these eight investigators! Our goal is to wipe out the Nightmare... and to delete Zero's ghost!" X scowled, whatever willingness he had to give Isoc the benefit of the doubt quickly disappearing. "Come together for our future! This is the leader of our mission," the image shifted as Isoc gestured to the giant black reploid beside him, the same one X had just encountered, "High Max!"

This was just getting more and more suspicious.

"We will protect you if you join us. Let's preserve our future together! We're waiting for you, everyone!"

Isoc paused for a moment, as if anticipating applause from an invisible audience, before his image shifted and he raised his hands as in the beginning of the video.

"It just loops after this," Alia reported, the video feed muting and minimizing to one corner of the screen.

"How dare he talk about Zero that way!" X scowled. "Zero gave his life to save everyone!"

"It's not surprising. We saw that Nightmare too. It looked like Zero," Alia pointed out reluctantly. "And the readings we got from it were a lot like the Zero Virus that had formed after Eurasia's crash."

X turned away angrily. Alia didn't even know all the details of what happened at the Eurasia crash site, and she still came to that conclusion. He hadn't reported about the things Zero and Sigma had said or about the way Zero had acted. He hadn't thought it mattered, not when Zero had ultimately fought with X and saved him with his last breath. X wanted Zero to be remembered as the hero he was. He just hoped that information wouldn't prove to be vital after all.

Watching him with sympathy, Alia said, "First, we need to find out what the Nightmare is. For now, leave Isoc and High Max alone. I'll see what I can find about them."

X nodded, centering himself. "Alright. What about those 'suspected areas' he mentioned?"

"...There is too much interference for us to monitor things from here. It might be the same energy that made your sensors malfunction at the crash site," she reported. "According to our data, all those areas were hit by pieces of Eurasia. Strange phenomena were reported before we lost contact. Acid rain, magma behaving unnaturally, sudden darkness, all kinds of things."

"Then I'll have to go in blind," X decided. "Maybe I'll be able to get some useful readings directly. Besides," he added, "there's something suspicious about those investigators."

"Get fixed up properly first," Signas ordered, turning to X suddenly, his ability to multitask and follow several conversations at once again catching X off guard. "Or at least your armor. Perhaps Dr. Light will be able to provide some help as well." He held X's gaze, trying to convey the seriousness of his words. "X, considering the situation in these areas and the state of the Maverick Hunters, there is no one else we can send. Now that we've lost Zero, you are the only one left."

Something about those words sounded familiar, leaving X feeling shaken. They settled across his shoulders heavily, like a premonition of dread. But under Signas's gaze, all he could do was nod.

/ / / / / / / /

"The new armor is complete," the hologram of Dr. Light informed X somberly. "I call it the Blade Armor."

"Blade?" X repeated in surprise, looking over the new parts that had been installed. The color scheme and shape was similar to the Falcon Armor, but he could feel a difference as well.

"Yes. I upgraded the Falcon Armor with advanced sensor and scanning capabilities. It also has a special weapon." The transparent image of the doctor smiled as X activated the blade in his right gauntlet and looked at it in mixed wonder and melancholy. "I installed that Saber directly into the armor, so it can now be charged, like your Buster."

"Thank you," X said quietly, allowing the Saber to slide back into place. "It means a lot to me."

"Even though I wanted you to live in a warless era, all I can do is give you this armor. I wonder when peace will return..." Dr. Light shook his head. "Forgive me. I know you must put an end to this Nightmare. I'll be praying for your safety. Good luck."

The hologram faded out, leaving X alone. "Zero," he said quietly, laying one hand on his new gauntlet, "I won't let your reputation be damaged. I won't let you be treated like some pawn. Wherever you are, lend me your strength."

/ / / / / / /

Notes: You know what I don't get? Why is "Reploid" capitalized, while "investigator" is not? It keeps throwing me off. Everything else gets capitals! _Space Colony_ gets capitals! (Not to mention there doesn't seem to be any consistency across games about this.)

Keep in mind, I wrote this story to straighten out for myself what happened in X6 and the bizarre concepts involved, so don't expect any amazing story line or fight scenes or, you know, characterization. (:V) It's also very short, 10 chapters and under 20,000 words.

I try to keep most of the meta-physics true to the games, but the stuff with Zero/Zero Nightmare's situation is made up whole-cloth. Because the game sure didn't explain it any of it.

/ / / / / / /


	3. I won't end up being betrayed

/ / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 03 "I won't end up being betrayed!"

X0X0X0X0

As X teleported into the first Nightmare area, Signas began his briefing. "We are now beginning the mission to check out the eight areas, where Isoc sent his investigators," he said. "Your goal is to learn more about the Nightmare phenomena. Also, some Reploids may have followed Isoc's message and come to the Nightmare areas. If you find them, secure them and send them to the Hunter Base." Signing off, he added, "Good luck, X!"

Only X and Alia remained on the line. "Were you able to find out anything about Isoc or High Max?" he asked quietly.

"...No. There isn't any record of either of them," Alia replied. There was something strange in her voice, but before X could ask if she was alright, she hurried on. "This is the Amazon area. To be honest, I'm almost blind here. The only data I'm getting is from the sensors in your armor. The Nightmare phenomenon might be causing this jamming."

The situation was far from ideal. The dense jungle blocked out even most of the faint moonlight, which reflected eerily off drifting banks of fog. The confusing tangle of plantlife and machinery made spotting an enemy difficult. Worse yet, X perpetually saw something flicker and shimmer at the edge of his vision, though there was never anything there when he turned to look. It was probably the "sensor ghosts" some Hunters talked about, but X himself had never experienced the effect before.

He only said, "That's okay. I'll find out when I get there, what the Nightmares are and what Isoc intends."

X kept his Buster charged and ready as he made his way through the jungle, despite the sensor ghosts he was still experiencing and the risk of misfire. He had long ago learned the danger of hesitating in a situation like this.

Before long, one of the hills that dotted the region rose up in front of him out of the trees and mist. A cavern had been carved out of the side, lined with machinery and electronics.

Something moved in shadows, and X turned quickly to point his Buster at the source, instinct telling him this was real, not another mirage. But a different, opposite instinct made him hold his shot for the instance it took him to identify the target as a Reploid.

The Reploid was of a common design, more suited to a city than the jungle's difficult conditions. The humidity and rough terrain, not to mention the pollution from Eurasia's crash, had clearly taken their toll. He stood slumped on a maintenance platform high above X's level, probably used by the rainforest restoration team to monitor the ecosystem controls. X could only guess how and why the Reploid had gotten up there.

X lowered his Buster, but only partially. He watched the Reploid carefully, looking for any signs of Maverick Virus infection. Although obviously hurt and exhausted, the civilian model lacked the almost glassy tinge to his optics that characterized an infected Maverick.

He was trembling, X noted.

"Alia, can you get a lock on him?" X asked quietly.

"No," she replied after a moment. "I don't think your suit is configured for that, and all our equipment here is still showing nothing but snow. You'll have to get closer... probably right next to him."

Stepping forward, the Hunter called out, "Hey! Hang in there! I'll get you down!"

The Reploid's gaze shot to him, showing sudden, stark terror. "S-Stay away! Stay away from me, Nightmare!"

"I'm not going to hurt you!" X protested. He wavered for a moment, caught between his desire to dismiss his Buster to reassure the Reploid and his hard-drilled reflex to always remain ready in a combat zone.

"X, I'm getting an unusual data signal," Alia said tersely. "It must be the Nightmare! Stay alert!"

In the next instance, the source of the signal became apparently. Behind the Reploid, strange, chain-like tentacles appeared straight out of the cave wall. They extended soundlessly, followed by a dark torso and a rounded head.

Shaking away his surprise, X yelled, "Look out!"

But the Reploid, still panicked, only took a step back, straight into the creature's reach. The blue and red tentacles lashed out, but instead of wrapping around the Reploid, they passed straight into him. The Reploid's body jerked and stiffened. He let out a low, mechanical groan.

"X…" Alia began, her voice distracted and apprehensive.

"I know. I see it," X cut her off. He could see the signs. Up above, the Reploid slumped and turned its head unnaturally to focus on him. It growled and tensed, before suddenly leaping off the platform. As it plummeted toward him, X dashed away, leaving the Reploid to crash into the ground where he had stood a moment before, sending out a dull shockwave. It straightened quickly, apparently unhindered by the drop, and roared.

The sound was cut off as X hit it with a charge shot that tore through the civilian model's light armor and ripped off one of its arms. But that seemed to do little to hinder it as, instead of falling back, the Reploid charged toward X, who continued to fire until the last moment.

As the new Maverick came within reach, X shifted weapons and swung the saber blade that had appeared in place of his arm. It cut cleanly through the Maverick, though X purposefully avoided its core.

Something shrieked, the same way the apparition of Zero had.

X only had a moment to hear Alia's warning cry when the Nightmare emerged from the Reploid's remains and shot toward him, its tentacles wrapping around and through his armor even as he tried to cut it away with the Saber.

For an instance, all his sensors seemed to offline, and when they re-engaged, none of the readings were the same as before. The Nightmare was gone as well. Straightening slowly, X looked around.

"Is this still the Amazon area?" he wondered. It appeared to be. He was still in the same jungle, but his surroundings had changed. The cave was gone. Instead, a giant stone head lay on the forest floor next to him, partially obscured by thick vines. "Something's different… What's happening? Alia? Are you there? Come in!"

"…" At first, only static came across the comm, then Alia's voice faded in, sounding almost panicked. "…X! X, can you hear me? I finally re-established transmission. For a moment… your signal just disappeared."

"That's what it was like from this end too," X said. "Was that an effect of the Nightmare? It was almost like…" X trailed off, not wanting to admit what it reminded him of - the strange area created at the Eurasia impact site by the high concentration of the Maverick Virus.

X shook the thought away, focusing instead on his immediate surroundings. "I've got a strong DNA Core reading up ahead," he reported. "It should be…"

"…from an investigator," Alia agreed. "The investigator here should be Commander Yammark. He was created for a nature preservation project, but the forest he worked in burned down…"

"Was he accused of causing it?" X wondered. What that the kind of Reploid that worked for Isoc? One with a grudge?

"No, that wasn't it…" Alia said, something strained in her tone. "Someone altered Yammark's flying system… He crashed and died."

"Died?" X repeated. "Did Isoc rebuild him? DNA resurrection is prohibited by the law." Alia didn't answer. X shook his head, setting aside that train of thought. Instead, he readied his Buster and stepped forward.

The jungle opened up suddenly, revealing a clearing lined with ancient ruins. Making his way further into the center, X looked around at the mounds of rubble and the broken heads that almost seemed like some sort of forgotten audience.

A persistent buzzing filled the air, and looking up, X was greeted by the hovering form of a Reploid. The stranger had a unique model, designed for aerial maneuverability and patterned after a dragonfly. Mechaniloid insects circled around him, adding to the growing hum.

"You're the Nightmare investigator, Commander Yammark?" X asked neutrally.

"Yes! I'm in charge of the Amazon area," Yammark replied strongly, pointing at X. "Tell me, what is Zero up to? You must know something."

X scowled. "Zero has nothing to do with this! Stop accusing him!" he demanded, forgetting to his mission and attempts at diplomacy.

Yammark clearly returned his expression, despite his faceplate. "I knew I couldn't trust you Hunters! You're the same as those Reploid researchers," he said, his tone dark. "I won't end up betrayed and retired again! I'll get rid of you first!"

With a sharp gesture, Yammark sent his insect guard into an attack pattern. Each tiny Mechaniloid fired off a rapid storm of green energy bullets at X, who dodged the first round and fired back with his Buster. But for every insect he shot down, another appeared, and the swarm around Yammark only grew. Their buzzing had become an ominous roar.

"X," Alia called out quickly, as the Mechaniloids circled around Yammark again, "I'm getting Nightmare readings from him. Be careful!"

Suddenly, Yammark's body tilted forward, horizontally, and dashed at X. The Hunter dodged the inspector, but the insects trailing Yammark's charge clipped his armor while others blocked his return fire.

Yammark turned nimbly and shot back for another pass, but he had underestimated X's aim. Timing his shot carefully, X targeted one of Yammark's thin joints. Even uncharged, it was enough to cripple the investigator and send him spinning off course. One of his delicate wings clipped a half-broken stone pillar, leaving it cracked and useless. Even as he tried to straighten, Yammark's hover remained visibly lopsided.

"N-no!" he groaned. "Not again!"

Destroying several of his insect guard in quick succession, X finally had a clear shot. As he charged his Buster, he swallowed a flash of regret and sympathy at Yammark's panic and desperation. The charged shot tore through the flying model's light armor, and in the next moment his core detonated, making X throw up an arm to cover his face.

As the aftershocks of the explosion dispersed, X frowned. Something was shining in the place Yammark had been, a sphere of energy that seemed to be...

"It's related to the Nightmare," Alia reported, seeing the same readings. "It's a lot like... Hm... a Nightmare Soul...?"

"Nightmare Soul? Like a DNA Soul?" X quickly made the same connection. Frowning, he reached out toward the floating orb as it slowly descended. But the Nightmare Soul suddenly jerked away, flying toward a figure that suddenly stood in a place that had been empty before.

This time, X simply gritted his teeth against the static that ripped across his sensors, keeping his eyes firmly on the discolored hologram of Zero. The Zero Nightmare, as High Max had called it, held out one hand, all of its motions still jerky and disjointed, like a video missing half its frames. It grasped the Nightmare Soul, though only for a moment before the energy sphere was absorbed into the apparition.

"What do you think you're doing?!" X demanded, stepping forward. "Stop this ridiculous charade!"

Suddenly, the Zero Nightmare was facing him, the weight of its regard making X's metaphorical skin crawl.

"WHERE IS [ZERO]? WHERE IS HE HIDDEN?" it demanded, and X realized that it wasn't speaking so much as broadcasting - its mouth never moved. Though it sounded more coherent now, it was clear that he wouldn't get any answers out of it. Instead, X raised his Buster.

Something shifted in the Zero Nightmare, and in the next moment, it was in front of him. Just like before, there was no sense of transition, of even dashing. It was simply upon him, phantom saber cutting through the air.

X sidestepped the downward slash and released a charged shot into its chest in the moment it was open. Though driven back by the blast, the Nightmare appeared undaunted and undeterred. If anything, its attention sharpened.

"A BLUE ROBOT..." it stated, as if considering or calculating something - and coming to a conclusion. "...ENEMY... KILL YOU!"

The Zero Nightmare swung its saber again, the movement surprisingly refined for what seemed like wild bloodlust. X ducked a smaller crescent beam and dashed forward. He activated Zero's Saber, and he cut through the apparition in one swift motion.

The ghost screamed, playing havoc on X's systems. Disrupted, it flashed in and out of existence.

"[Zero]... Where is [Zero]...?" its 'voice' came through, distant and faded, before it vanished altogether. A moment later, X's sensors began to reorient and return toward normal parameters. He allowed himself to straighten out of his combat stance.

X shook his head. "…I wish I knew," he muttered to the empty jungle clearing.

/ / /

Notes: Gun safety? What is that? (:V)

So my fight scenes suck. I'll have you know I wrote this story for the talking heads, not for action. (Also for homoeroticism. But mostly for the talking heads.)

Just so you know, we're not going to through every level. In fact, we'll only be seeing three of eight Nightmare areas.

/ / /


	4. The embodiment of his hatred

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 04 "...the embodiment of his hatred."

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Dense lines of data scrolled quickly over the screen, its flickering glow the only source of light in the room. The only sound was the hum of the machinery.

"I have a report to make," Isoc said quietly. "It's about one of the investigators."

The figure he was addressing, outlined by the screen's light, glanced over his shoulder before returning to the data. "I know," he replied. "He was destroyed by that Maverick Hunter. It's shameful to think that they can't even beat some mysterious old robot..."

For a moment, he silently contemplated the information in front of him, then turned sharply, revealing his face - the Reploid Alia had spoken to at Eurasia's crash site, Gate. "Isoc!" he commanded. "Keep an eye on that Hunter."

"Yes, sir," the other researcher replied, nodding deferentially.

"And how is the experiment proceeding?" Gate asked, turning away as if he had lost interest.

"Everything is going well. The effect is simply magnificent. We have achieved a 99.98% success rate," Isoc reported with a self-satisfied smile. "If you use High Max, you can take control of all the Reploids in the world in just minutes. Even that Maverick Hunter won't be able to stop you."

"No," Gate said simply. "Continue the experiment for now. I want you to keep gathering data."

"Yes, sir."

As Isoc turned to go, Gate called out, "By the way... how is your little side project doing? Or is it a lost cause after all?"

"Oh, no," Isoc replied with a strange smile. "He isn't some low Reploid that would die so easily."

"Isoc, I have been thinking about that," Gate said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're obsessed with Zero, aren't you?"

"No, no," Isoc insisted, chuckling. "Nothing like that..."

"Then leave that old robot and focus on the experiment," Gate told him, his tone still mild and even, but the ultimatum clear in his words. Suddenly, tension permitted the cold air between the two researchers, and it was clear the two had no friendship or ties between them, just convenience and temporary cooperation.

Gate was the first to move, closing his eyes and shrugging lightly. "Hmm, well, it doesn't matter to me. You're on your own. I don't need Zero's body... Just do the work and keep an eye on X."

"Yes, sir," Isoc replied, hiding his smile with a shallow bow.

/ / / / / /

X paced restlessly across the Hunter Base, uneasy and on edge with his enforced downtime. Although he had insisted he was still ready to keep going, Signas had refused to send X out again, citing regulations, the condition of his armor and the need to process the data they had gathered.

It wasn't as if X didn't understand his arguments. Regulations existed for a reason, which had to do with fatigue build up. And even Dr. Light's armor needed maintenance after weathering increasing Nightmare phenomena. Not to mention that Alia was already working overtime to try to make sense of everything he had seen and recorded.

But that still left X feeling like he was the only one not doing something in the controlled chaos of the Hunter Base. In the corridors, he was constantly passing other Hunters, every one of them intent on their own assignment, rushing somewhere with no time to waste. The Earth was in a state of crisis, and everyone - human, Reploid, Hunter - was needed to just pull through.

And the Nightmare phenomena - Isoc and his inspectors - were jeopardizing everything.

"At a time like this..." he muttered angrily.

With a start, X realized he was scowling darkly at a blank wall. The other Hunters were giving him a wide berth, as well as faintly worried looks. "You are the only one left," X remembered Signas's words. He was their only ace. The others knew he had been given a special assignment, and they were looking to him for some hint of what to expect, whether to brace for another disaster.

Consciously straightening his shoulders and putting on a calm, composed facade, X set off at a steady pace and tried to look like he knew exactly where he was going and would get there exactly when he needed to.

It was with great relief that he finally ducked out of the hallway and headed toward Alia's terminal.

The Navigator was hard at work; most likely, she hadn't stopped since he had returned from the last Nightmare area. X wavered, loathe to distract her and guilty for his own comparative uselessness. But before he could back out, Alia raised a hand, still typing with the other, and waved him over.

"X, I'm still processing the data," Alia told him distractedly. "But it's been decided that you'll head to the Central Museum next. We're getting amazingly strong Nightmare readings from there. I've determined that the investigator there is Ground Scaravich. An ex-treasure hunter. He was devoted to the research of ancient sites and gathered a lot of data on ancient robots."

She looked tense. A troubled air had hovered around her since they had begun this mission. "Was he made by Gate, like the other three?" X asked. Alia's typing faltered for a moment. "Commander Yammark, Rainy Turtloid, and Blizzard Wolfgang, they were all created by your colleague Gate, right? And all of them were retired..."

"...Not exactly," Alia said after a moment. "He wasn't one of Gate's creations. Gate worked with him long ago. He was able to improve his work with the data Scaravich gave him." Alia paused, as if steeling herself. "Then Gate ordered him to go to a forbidden area. It was the place where you were discovered. I confirmed him entering that place... and I disposed of him. Gate didn't even seem to care..." Alia's shoulders shook as she repressed whatever she was feeling. She whispered, "I didn't want to remember this..."

"Alia..." X began, trying to think of some way to comfort her.

"When Gate and I worked for the Reploid Research Team," Alia forged on, "all of his Reploids were amazing. They made remarkable progress..." Alia shook her head. "Gate just continued creating more and more advanced Reploids. He wanted his ability to be recognized... but he went too far. Eventually, our boss... ordered that Gate's Reploids be disposed off... making it look like an accident. It was an order... But I participated."

"Were they really that dangerous?" X wondered, watching Alia hunch in her seat. The memories were painful to her, but he didn't know how to help.

"No, not really," Alia admitted quietly. "But Gate's programs were just too advanced. There was too much in them that could not be analyzed."

"That's all? ...That's the same as us," X noted. Neither he nor Zero could be analyzed by modern researchers, relics of a prior age. ...Though, it was only him now.

"He was fascinated by the two of you. He thought that the best programs were the ones that couldn't be analyzed. Both of us dreamed of creating a program that was immune to corruption and viruses," Alia reminisced wistfully. "He was much smarter than me... but I got ahead because I followed orders. Nobody gave him the recognition he deserved. So he grew isolated and left..."

"...Then Isoc revived Gate's creations because they are the most advanced modern Reploids?" X guessed, but even setting aside the issue of Scaravich, a simple explorer Reploid who only stood out for his connection to Gate, X could read between the lines of Alia's story. If Gate had been the only one able to create and understand those powerful Reploids, then the only one who could have revived them was also...

"Gate..." Alia said quietly. "When he left, he said, 'I swear... I'll get revenge on all of you!' I wonder.. if this is the embodiment of his hatred..."

/ / /

Notes: Pffft. You didn't expect me to actually go through every stage, did you? It's not like anything actually happens. Instead, we're getting a recap every few bosses/levels. And, of course, exposition. Who doesn't love talking heads?

(I never did really understand what was going on with Gate and his creations. Alia's explanation is amazingly confusing. Some of them clearly did illegal things, and were retired because of that, but others were betrayed. And then Alia implies that those Reploids also caused problems...)

You can see how I reshuffled the dialogue around, putting Alia's talk of Gate here, after a certain pattern was established. On the subject of dialogue, I've been listening to the Japanese voice acting to try to understand some of the more... unique English translation. You get interesting things. For example, when Isoc talks about "99.98% success rate", here I interpret it to mean that the control experiment with High Max has 99% success in tests and that Gate should go ahead and use it. But in the JP, Isoc seems to be saying that what Gate is doing now, with the Nightmare phenomena, has already fooled 99% of Reploids (!), and that's impressive, _but_ Gate could just control everyone with High Max, so why not do that?

Also, I kinda skipped the scene of Gate going nuts, so go ahead and make your own assumptions about his mental and, uh, viral state. (Honestly, isn't the whole point of X and Reploids that they have free will? And then we get the Virus as a complete cop out regarding their culpability for their actions. "No, no, it's not their fault, the devil made them do it!" (:V) Nice.)

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /


	5. I'm attuned to the fashions of the time

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**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 05 "I'm attuned to the fashions of the time."

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

"X, you are now in the Central Museum," Alia reported. It sounded like an obvious thing, but X was glad for the confirmation. For a moment, he had wondered if the transfer had been thrown off by the Nightmare.

"Its appearance has completely changed," he observed. Not only had all the posters become completely distorted and the hallways cast with a strange blue-violet glow, rain was falling from thin air near the ceiling. "It's dead quiet," despite the rain. "I wonder what other Nightmares are waiting up ahead..."

It wasn't a pleasant thought.

It didn't take long to find the next Nightmare either. The way forward was soon blocked by what appeared to be a semi-transparent stack of carved animal heads, like something out of the ancient cultures exhibit of the Museum.

"A totem pole?" X muttered, hefting his Buster in case it suddenly came to life.

"I can't detect any sign of it," Alia said, frustration clear in her voice. "I can see it from the video feed, but all other sensors are showing nothing there. It must be the work of the Nightmare."

There wasn't anything else to do. The mysterious apparition was blocking the path, and there was no way he could squeeze past it. Slowly, X began to approach the totem pole. He couldn't say he was surprised when, the instance his hand came into contact with it, reality suddenly seemed to shift sideways. For a moment, he felt like he was in two places at once. When everything finally restabilized, his surroundings had completely changed.

To one side, a wall of screens suddenly activated, showing what looked like an exhibit from the dinosaur section. X looked up at it. "Is this one of the exhibit halls?" he wondered. There was no response. "Alia? Hm? Alia! ...Am I out of transmission range? Where am I anyway?"

He turned away from the screen, looking instead across the large empty chamber he had ended up in. In the fuzzy shadows, he could just make out Nightmares rising out of the floor and walls, stretching out their chain-like tentacles ominously.

X opened fire, circling as he strafed at the Nightmares. The screen behind him flickered, changing picture, and unidentifiable pieces of rubble were suddenly launched out of the shadows at him.

As he dodged the sudden barrage of debris, X caught a glimpse of something that looked like the totem pole that had sent him here. But he could see that it was solid now. It glowed faintly as the giant screen flickered again.

X's eyes narrowed. That was the source of this, he was sure. Breaking away, he ran toward it while the Nightmares returned fire with blue-red energy orbs.

X aimed his charged Buster and fired. The shot ripped away much of the totem pole's outer armor, leaving behind gaping eye sockets and a leering toothless grin. X didn't let up, keeping a steady barrage, some of it hitting and knocking away Nightmares instead, until he was in close range. The moment the totem pole came into reach, he shifted to the Saber and slashed.

As the totem pole disintegrate, X felt the same shifting and splitting sensation again. Straightening, he found himself back in the main part of the Museum. Rain again pounded against his armor, and X spared a moment to hope it didn't have some kind of deterioration effect.

The hallway he been taken to was strangely empty. The lettering on the wall read "B-1".

"That's right, the Museum goes underground," X muttered to himself, remembering Alia's briefing. The Navigator herself appeared to still be out of contact, as static came across the comm line. "That's how it stayed this intact despite Eurasia's crash. I probably need to keep heading down."

Uneasy in the strange silence, X headed slowly toward the down ramp. He tried to tell himself that he just wanted to make sure that he didn't slip on the rain-drenched floor, but the truth was the atmosphere was starting to bother him.

Barely a level down, another half-transparent totem pole blocked the way.

"Here we go again," X sighed, reaching out resignedly.

He had to pass through the strange Nightmare alternate areas three more times before he arrived at E level. It was with a great deal of relief that he noticed the lettering on the wall that indicated the "Main Hall" was ahead.

"What's the point of the Nightmares transforming the Museum into something so different?" he wondered in frustration.

The hallway opened up into a large circular chamber, like an auditorium. Large screens showing different exhibits lined the walls, and the domed ceiling showed a slowly rotating star map. A large hologram display occupied the center of the auditorium floor, one level down from where X had entered.

Approaching the edge of the ramp, X paused. Someone was already inside the Main Hall. Two figures faced each other on the lower level. One, crouched close to the floor, was clearly Scaravich, though quite a bit more battered than the image Alia had presented during her briefing.

"This is horrible!" the investigator moaned. "Why do I have to face someone like you?"

His opponent remained mostly obscured, his dark color scheme almost hidden in the half-gloom of the hall, but his voice was instantly recognizable to X, as was his lilting manner of speech. "Be a smart Reploid and give me the information on the Nightmares," Dynamo drawled, hefting his arm cannon threateningly.

"I'd rather just kill you!" Scaravich exclaimed, suddenly lunging for the mercenary. Dynamo took a step back, unable to fire his gun at such close range, then, in a smooth move that X had seen in their own fight, drew his saber and spun it in front of him as a shield. Knocked away, Scaravich tried to scramble back, but Dynamo followed after him relentlessly, jumping up and bringing his saber down in powerful strike that easily cleaved the investigator in two.

X started forward, but it was already too late. As Scaravich was obliterated, a Nightmare Soul rose out of his remains, and Dynamo unhesitatingly reached for it. It flowed into him seamlessly, though a shudder ran through the mercenary's form.

"So this is the power of the Nightmare..." Dynamo muttered to himself, flexing his hand. "With this, I can-"

Without warning, he cut himself off and grabbed for his saber, bring the weapon up just in time as the entire area was plunged deeper into the Nightmare phenomenon. Like a bolt from the blue, a familiar violet-red apparition materialized, already mid-swing.

Dynamo slid back as his own saber clashed with that of the Zero Nightmare, its unnatural strength making the mercenary's arms tremble. There was no time for him to even let off a quip as the Nightmare attacked again and again, sending a storm of energy blades flying.

Though he was certainly skilled, Dynamo was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Just as his defense faltered and the apparition moved in for the kill, a charged shot tore between them, and both combatants turned to look at X as he jumped from the upper level to the ground floor.

"Hey, you!" he barked, glaring at the Nightmare. "Quit messing around!"

Oddly still, the Zero Nightmare met his gaze. X started in surprise as it spoke, its voice resonating oddly, but almost entirely within the normal range of his sensors. "I'm not messing around..." it said, though the words still ran together and the movements of its mouth didn't match the sound. "I don't know what's happening."

Thrown off balance, X drew back a little. "Who are you?" he asked instead, keeping his Buster pointed at the Nightmare. "I won't let anyone stop me."

The Zero Nightmare's expression became a faint frown as it began to flicker again. "Don't you know who I am?..." it wondered, vanishing from sight for a long moment, then reappearing again, only to suddenly fade out completely.

"...Well, that was certainly mysterious," Dynamo commented, breaking the silence that had fallen over the chamber. Apparently recovered from his short battle, he came up behind X and smirked at the Hunter.

"So you're still alive, Dynamo?" X noted coldly, easily turning to point his Buster at the mercenary instead.

"Sorry if I made you worry," Dynamo replied with a quirk of his lips. "But you know what they say, 'Discretion is the better part of valor.' With Sigma gone, I've decided to take control of my own destiny using the Nightmare! I'm attuned to the fashions of the time, you see..."

"Is Sigma really gone?" X wondered. If anyone would know, it was Dynamo, who had been follower of Sigma despite apparently remaining free of the Virus.

"Yeah," Dynamo remarked wistfully. "Even Sigma had his limits, you know, and he overreached, spreading himself all over the world and Eurasia, and then crashing down like that. Sure, his Virus is still around, but it's too all over the place for Sigma's mind to pull itself back together out of it. He aimed for the stars... Or should I say, he aimed for Zero."

His expression and tone were suddenly serious as he turned to X. "I thought it seemed like a waste, but now we have the Nightmares and that impostor of Zero... Have you figured it out, the mystery of the Nightmare?" he asked, still teasing, but with a sharp edge that made X glare.

'Again, dragging Zero into this,' X thought furiously. To Dynamo, he only said, "Stay away from the Nightmares. It's too dangerous."

Dynamo winked, all good cheer again. "That's why they're worth checking out! Later, X!" He laughed and, before X could stop him, disappeared in a beam of light, the Nightmare phenomenon having cleared up enough to allow a transfer out.

For a moment, X simply glared at the place Dynamo had stood. It seemed almost impossible to imagine, the idea that Sigma... might really be gone...

/ / / / / / /

Notes: It's lonely without Alia! (:( )

Man, this chapter is so boring. But, hey, we're half-way through! Only five more chapters left. (And possibly a bonus "Stage 00" chapter to clear up the mess I made of X5's endings.)

Also, I hope you like talking heads, 'cause guess what we'll be doing next chapter? That's right. Exposiiiiition! Capcom Science! Cyber voodoo! All the good stuff.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /


	6. As a Maverick Hunter and your friend

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**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 06 "As a Maverick Hunter and your friend..."  
**Notes:** Only one review for chapter 5? I see, you're shunning me. Well fine, have some Capcom Science then.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /

"...Do you think it's possible?" X asked, after he finished relaying his meeting with Dynamo. "That Sigma is really gone?"

Alia remained silent for several long moments. "...Maybe," she finally replied. "It... makes sense, what Dynamo said. It's in line with what we know about the Sigma Virus..."

She gestured vaguely and began to explain her thought process, an exercise meant more to order her own ideas than for X's benefit, though he watched the Navigator closely as she paced in front of him.

"The reason Sigma has been able to come back over and over again has to do with the mutated nature of his DNA program. He's not the only case. In special circumstances, like the Erasure incident, a Reploid's DNA program - data containing their form, abilities, and memories - can temporarily exist without their bodies, as a kind of purely electronic life form."

"A DNA Soul," X remarked, remembering how Iris had chosen the name and her reasoning - a Reploid's DNA program was like their soul, the core of everything they were, their "self".

"Right. And DNA data, even in small lingering amounts, can be used to resurrect a destroyed Reploid, so it's easy for a new body to be constructed to fit his DNA Soul. Because he is not tied to a body in the same way, Sigma is able to essentially remain as a ghost." Alia paused, frowning faintly before shaking the stray thought away.

"But Sigma has another special ability," she continued, "to infiltrate and overwrite the DNA programs of other Reploids and robots. When Sigma changes another Reploid's program, he inserts a pieces of his own DNA data into them. So the Sigma Virus is essentially made up of fragments of Sigma's DNA Soul, which continue to be connected and can then influence the Reploids they are placed inside. When he is destroyed, Sigma can use those pieces to reconstruct himself. We know that much from Dr. Doppler's research."

X nodded again. Doppler had been the first to identify the Maverick Virus, and though his attempts to create a vaccine had been unsuccessful, his research findings remained invaluable.

"So what Dynamo said makes sense," Alia repeated. "Sigma spread his DNA Soul across the world and all of Eurasia in order to infect it. It's entirely possible that would be too much dissociation even for the Sigma Virus. There is also the fact that the Virus implanted in the Colony seemed to evolve into a different form that may not have preserved Sigma's personal aspects... The connection between the fragments of Sigma's DNA Soul may have simply been stretched too thin to hold together after you and Zero defeated him."

"If we take Dynamo's word for it," X commented sourly. In a way, Dynamo was the most confounding enemy X had ever faced. He wasn't infected, he wasn't out of his mind, he didn't seem to be completely detached from reality. But he had still sent Eurasia crashing into the Earth, despite the potentially catastrophic consequences.

Alia nodded distractedly. "I've been thinking..." she began again. "The Nightmare is very similar to the Sigma Virus. It infects Reploids and rewrites their DNA and cognitive programs, causing them to malfunction. At worst, even their appearance changes. However, I think... the Nightmare is not natural. It's artificially created..." Alia trailed off, her expression troubled.

"They're a lot alike," X agreed.

"The Nightmare Virus is much more potent. It sometimes kills the host when it infects them, and it can also survive without a host at all. Fortunately, that means we don't need a special vaccine to damage it; normal weapons will do," Alia continued to reason. "The Nightmare enemies are the Nightmare Virus in its pure concentrated state, and Nightmare Souls are the same, but inert. So the only thing we haven't been able to figure out at all is..."

"...the Zero Nightmare," X finished reluctantly.

"Even the investigators didn't seem to know much about it. It has the same readings as a Nightmare, and it's been absorbing Nightmare Souls into itself. Every time, it has been getting stronger and more coherent. " Alia trailed off, clearly uncertain of her tentative conclusions "...Maybe Zero's DNA data was incorrectly copied into a Nightmare. It might be using other Nightmare Souls to stabilize itself. But why would Zero's specific situation be so different? And why does the Nightmare have readings that are so similar to Zero to start with?"

"Zero... always had a unique reaction to the Virus," X admitted. "It's not that Zero was immune or unaffected by the Virus. Rather, he was able to absorb and process it. When Sigma infected Zero after reconstructing him in the second war, the Virus's effects just... wore off. Afterward, when Zero was scanned, there was nothing left of the Virus in his system..."

Alia's expression was sympathetic, and she didn't press for more information. She, more than anyone, could tell that his report about the Eurasia Crisis had been incomplete. But she also knew what it was like to suspect something terrible about a person you cared for, especially one that had disappeared from your sight.

She had shared her fears about Gate with X. So, X felt, he had to tell her something, if even just a part of what had occurred.

"When we were fighting Sigma at the Eurasia impact site..." X began, the words coming unwillingly, "Sigma said that he and Zero had the same potential. It came from the time when Zero first appeared, as a Maverick. Sigma was the one who defeated him, but both of them came into contact with something that changed their DNA programs. That was how Sigma gained his abilities..."

"...Just what happened there, at the impact site?" Alia asked hesitantly. "The interference was too much. We barely got any data."

X shook his head, as if trying to shake away the memories. "I... don't know. The entire area was saturated in the Virus. It was like the Nightmare phenomena. Nothing made any sense. I thought I saw..." He shook his head again, dismissing the notion. It had to have been a dream...

"It must have been a spacial anomaly, caused by the high Virus concentration," Alia said. "The Nightmare effects are the same thing. When a Virus saturates an area, the charged, digitized atmosphere allows pure data entities to materialize in the real world..."

X looked at her sharply, something like shock and suspicion showing on his face. "...That's what he said too..." he muttered to himself. But before she could ask, he changed subject. "Some of the Virus took on Zero's form. It was just a projection, but it had the same readings as Zero."

"The Zero Virus," Alia filled in. She remembered seeing those readings and trying to understand where they came from or what they meant.

"It appeared because Zero was in that place, where the Virus was so dense. It copied his data when he came close to it." X paused, wavering uncertainly. "The Zero Nightmare is so similar... maybe it's the same way. Maybe Zero is alive and came into contact with it. And that's why it took his form..."

Alia looked away. She didn't want to destroy X's hopes. "You had a dream about Zero, didn't you, X? Do you think it was connected to the Nightmare?"

"I don't know," X admitted. "But I believe Zero is somewhere out there. There's no way he would lose to Sigma. So he must be alive..."

But even if Zero was alive, there was no telling what state he was in. Even though Zero wasn't affected by the Maverick Virus in the same way as other Reploids, it still had a negative effect on his mind.

X gritted his teeth. "Are we... going to be forced to fight again, Zero?" he wondered.

/ / / / / / / / /

"You are in the Laser Institute," Alia told X as he teleported onto a high-tech landing pad, constructed partway up the side of a towering structure. "It's one of those places that doesn't officially exist, so we don't have much data on it." X eyed the jet resting on another landing pad nearby. What kind of place was this, anyway?

"But it's obvious that this facility is infected by the Nightmare, so I'll check it out," X said. Indeed, the entire area was cloaked in an unnatural darkness, the clouds that billowed past glowing an eerie blue-violet.

"Be careful," Alia warned him. "Things have been relatively quiet in the last three areas you visited, but this is the final investigator. There's no telling what will happen. Isoc, High Max... Gate... They won't let things end so easily."

"I know," X replied, readying his Buster.

He proceeded ahead cautiously, but there were no enemies in sight. Not even the silent, frightening Nightmares rose up out of the clouds or the walkway. At this height, the winds buffering X were the greatest danger. At least it wasn't raining, he told himself.

Suddenly, the walkway leading to the main facility cut off, dropping away into thin air. It was, X estimated with a practiced eye, too far to jump to the building itself, which rose up as a perfectly vertical monolith, only broken by a single maintenance tunnel opening.

"Now what?" he wondered. "I don't..."

X trailed off, watching in surprise as the air in the middle of the gap seemed to shimmer. A familiar yellow hard hat crawled out of what seemed to be nowhere at all, first perpendicular, then righting itself to stand correctly on thin air.

"It's a Met," X said obviously, still staring in surprise.

"...Yes," Alia agreed. "It's one of the units charged with maintaining the outer structures at this facility. It looks like a standard model. ...It's probably infected too."

"It's levitating," X pointed out, which seemed to be the far more important point. As if to mock him, the Met turned and spat out the same three shot pattern. To add to the insult, X barely dodged, too stunned to react properly.

"Maybe you should use your weapons," Alia suggested in a perfectly professional tone of voice.

X didn't thank her sarcastically, but he imagined saying it. Raising his Buster, he easily sent a single, well-timed charged shot at the Met, which was probably far more than necessary. Pieces of the unfortunate maintenance robot scattered through the air and disappeared into the clouds below.

Or rather, most of them did. X's eyes narrowed as he regarded the few fragments that remained "levitating" between him and the tunnel entrance.

"Lasers, huh..." he muttered to himself. Walking to the edge of the path, X extended his foot and prodded at the empty space beyond. His boot met nothing but air, and X momentarily lost his balance. Wobbling, he tilted forward and, to his surprise, found footing further out.

The air shimmered again, as it had when the Met appeared, but this time the effect lingered and strengthened until the half-opaque form of a catwalk appeared in front of X.

As he stepped out onto the newly-revealed path - separated from the rest of the walkway by a narrow gap - X stared down in surprise. He was still getting nothing from his sensors, which reported that he was standing on thin air.

"What a mysterious place," he muttered, heading onward again, sections of catwalk appearing as he stepped on them and disappearing again as he moved on.

The maintenance tunnel was dark and worn, though clearly well-maintained. Machinery hummed in the walls, making X feel almost as if he was traversing the insides of some great mechanical beast. As he jumped down a ladder to a lower section of the catwalk, the tunnel suddenly opened up into a wide circular passage that burrowed deeper into the interior of the Institute and then plunged down into its core. X could only guess what kind of experiments it was used for.

"...Huh," X said suddenly, coming to the end of the catwalk. He had crossed the round passage, but the pathway he had been following suddenly cut off, running straight into a blank wall. "...I still feel a little wind coming through," he noted, holding up his hand. Something occurred to him, and he reached out toward the wall, running his hand along it.

A few steps down, his hand passed right through. "Another illusion," X sighed. "Just what is this place?"

It was a maze, put simply, one that was further confused by the Nightmare-induced "blackouts" that rolled through the facility at seemingly random intervals and the increasing appearance of Nightmare Viruses.

X should have felt relieved to reach the core of the Institute, but instead dread welled up in his stomach.

"X?" Alia prompted him. "The central chamber should be just ahead."

"I can't believe Shield Sheldon was also resurrected," X said reluctantly. "His case went so badly, all because the Hunters made a mistake. He just wanted to protect the professor, but he ended up being labeled a Maverick, too. If only I could have been there in time..." X shook his head. "Do you think he might listen to me?"

Alia didn't reply right away. "...All the others chose to fight. And Sheldon was always very loyal. Like Blizzard Wolfgang, he will probably refuse to turn his back on Gate. X... that's his decision to make. There's nothing you can do about that. The Nightmares have to be stopped."

"Right. There's no time to waste," X agreed with a heavy heart.

The core of the Laser Institute opened up ahead of him, a giant round chamber with pipes running along the walls up to some mysterious device on the ceiling, perhaps a power generator or another laser. The room was half-filled with water, with only a narrow pathway made up of hexagonal, reflective plates that, together with the refractions from the pool, created a confusing, unbalancing play of light.

The effect was only made worse by the thick Nightmare atmosphere.

Squinting against the kaleidoscope-like effect, X took a moment to realize what he was seeing.

Shield Sheldon was there, or rather, what was left of him. His protective shells had been ripped off, and his body cleaved into two. A Nightmare Soul had risen out of his remains and floated easily into the hands of the Zero Nightmare, which absorbed the energy and momentarily glowed with its power.

"You!" X yelled, bringing up his Buster.

The Zero Nightmare turned, its moments so much smoother than before. It appeared almost solid now, not like a malfunctioning hologram.

"It's me, X," it said, its voice coming across cleanly, with only a faint reverberation to mark its unnatural origins. "Don't you recognize me? Let's fight together to retire the Mavericks, just like we used to..."

It spread its hands in a welcoming, unthreatening gesture, but X only scowled angrily.

"Stop it!" he demanded. "You can't fool me! You're just a fake."

The Zero Nightmare narrowed its eyes as if trying to figure out the meaning of his words. "Have you become so insane that you can't even recognize me?" it wondered. Its stance suddenly shifted in the same abrupt manner as before, like two unconnected frames spliced together. "That means you've become a Maverick... As a Maverick Hunter and your friend, I'll retire you myself!"

In the next instance, its saber was in its hand and flashing out in a diagonal slash. X gritted his teeth as he dodged, retaliating with rapid fire Buster shots. It infuriated him to hear this fake refer to the promise he had asked Zero to make, to stop X if he became a Maverick. This thing had no right to talk about that! To act like it was Zero!

The Zero Nightmare did not even flinch, but instead vanished, only to reappear behind him. Furious, X slashed at it with Zero's Saber. The Nightmare screeched the same way as it had before, and X noted with grim satisfaction that the Saber affected far more than an ordinary attack. It seemed fitting.

Although X hated to admit it, the Zero Nightmare was only a little below the real Zero in combat ability, and its tendency to vanish and reappear in another location without warning gave it an extra edge. Worse, every moment of the fight reminded him more and more of what had happened at the Eurasia crash site.

"...X...!"

Alia's garbled cry made X break away in surprise. Even as he jumped back, the Zero Nightmare suddenly faltered, its previously solid form becoming unstable and distorted.

An explosion tore through the core chamber wall, and out of the gaping hole and clouds of debris, High Max appeared, floating weightlessly despite his giant body. The Zero Nightmare turned to glare at him balefully, its image still run through by static, and High Max returned its ill will. Suddenly, X felt certain the two were somehow connected.

"Nightmare scum!" High Max growled, raising one giant hand. Energy gathered in the palm of his hand, but X could tell it was different than the attack he had used during their last encounter. It crackled like lightning and abruptly streaked out to envelop the Zero Nightmare.

"It's some kind of force field," Alia reported, her words occasionally interrupted by static.

The Nightmare growled and tried to struggle, but the force field High Max projected had it paralyzed. When he gestured sharply, the Nightmare was dragged into his grip, and High Max easily hitched its much smaller form under his arm.

"The force field you created works as predicted," High Max said, his slightly absent tone conveying that he was speaking across his own comm. "I have captured it. Returning now-"

Even though it was just a fake, X felt an instinctive urge to rush to its aid. It wasn't Zero... but it still looked like him, like Zero was being restrained and taken away. Without thinking, he pointed his Buster at High Max.

"Wait!" X yelled. "Just what do you intend to do with that? What are you planning?"

High Max paused, glancing at X disinterestedly. "We will end the Nightmare," he repeated Isoc's earlier claim.

"I won't let you go just like that! There are things you need to account for!" X told him. There were many, many questions Isoc needed to answer, starting with the illegal resurrection of Gate's Reploids.

"I am superior to you in every respect. A relic like you can't beat me," High Max replied. He would have certainly sneered, had he been capable of it. He raised his free hand as if to attack, only to stop suddenly.

"I have it!" Alia exclaimed. "I've cracked their transmission. I'm tracing it now!"

She wasn't a moment too early. Having apparently received new orders, High Max backed down and, after one last contemptuous look, teleported out, as X watched uneasily. Every instinct he had screamed at him to stop High Max.

"Yes! I have a lock on his destination!" Alia declared triumphantly. "It's... but that's... the Eurasia crash site? Why is he returning there?"

"I'll find out," X replied shortly, queuing up to transfer as well.

"X! Calm down!" Signas broke in over the comm. Naturally, he had been monitoring the mission of their ace Hunter. "We don't want to lose you. Return to Hunter Base and let us investigate the situation."

"...Sorry," X said. "But I'm going to end this, right now."

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Notes: Just to be clear, most of this DNA/Soul/Virus metaphysics is the Capcom party line. I'm not making this up. (:V) (Think of it this way: Reploids are like Transformers. They have Sparks.)

I am, however, utterly mangling X5. X doesn't explain, but I think the sequence of events went like this: after Eurasia crashes, Zero ends up in the middle of it; he becomes affected by all the Virus stuff; when X arrives, he and Zero fight; Sigma reappears, expositions, and is defeated; he tries to take Zero with him; Zero is heavily damaged, and both he and X get shot through by Sigma; but Zero gets off one last shot before shutting down.

I actually ended up having to write out an entire extra chapter to get things straight in my head.

In other news, Alia and X spend half the chapter bonding over their missing, possibly-psychotic boyfriends- I mean, providing exposition. Yes.

And now, X is making a list and checking it twice! Isoc, High Max, Zero Nightmare, Gate and one special "surprise" guest! All lined up to be taken down!

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /


	7. You ancient piece of junk

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**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 07 "You ancient piece of junk!"  
**Notes:** Well, forget all of you. You suck. Except mysteriousguy898. Him I still like.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

"So I'm back here again," X noted grimly, looking around the ruined wasteland of Eurasia's crash site. The faint moonlight was barely enough to make out the edges of the sandy dunes and the towering pieces of the colony. Everything was silent as the grave - it was a grave, in a way, of thousands and thousands of people.

"I can't believe their base is hidden in a place like this," Alia said quietly. "They must have set up in one of the more intact sections... The signal terminated somewhere just up ahead."

Another voice broke in over the comm, speaking over Alia. "X! Return to base immediately!" Signas demanded. "This mission hasn't been authorized! At least return for a check up! You might have been damaged!"

Wordlessly ignoring the commander, whose voice became more and more distorted by noise, X made his way onto one of the half-buried sections of Eurasia. In the middle of it, a large dark hole gaped like an open maw, ominous and threatening.

"It's like it's inviting me..." X murmured. His eyes narrowed as he saw the faint glow of something deep in the darkness. "I can see some light... I assume the base is below here. I don't think I can communicate with you once I enter."

"X!"

"I have to stop this," he finally said to Signas. "And I have to go alone. I'm the only one left..."

"Just be careful, X," Alia told him, her voice soft. Her words faded out as he jumped, the transmission completely lost.

/ / / / / / / / / /

X traveled in darkness only for a short while. A faint glow appeared and grew stronger, emanating from the walls. Power was running through Eurasia's abandoned machinery. Only a little further in, something else appeared as well - strange crystalline formations run through by what looked like circuitry and inscribed with mysterious symbols. When he tried to analyse them, X's sensors returned only a confused mess.

"Another Nightmare phenomenon," X commented to himself. "But it's so solid..."

The crystal formed regular blocks, growing on and around the battered remains of Eurasia's systems. They provided a stairway for X as the passage he followed opened up and sloped down into a cavernous chamber, its boundaries hidden in creeping shadows. The far wall was lined with a computer bank and a large monitor, apparently part of the original Eurasia structure.

Isoc stood in front of it, the Zero Nightmare suspended nearby in the same force field High Max had used. The Reploid was saying something, but X could not make out the words. As he moved closer, X realized that something was missing.

Where was High Max?

A Hunter's instincts made him spin around, just in time to avoid a blue-green energy blast. The ominous black form descended from the shadows, already gathering energy for another attack.

"You are persistent," High Max noted. "I'll make sure to destroy you this time."

X didn't bother to reply. Instead, he released a charged shot that momentarily stunned the giant Reploid, giving X the opening he needed to close in and slash with Zero's Saber.

High Max staggered under X's attack, then took to the air again, while X jumped away to a wider platform. Out of the corner of his eye, X could see Isoc watching them calmly. He seemed completely certain that X would be defeated.

"We'll see about that," X muttered. "But I'll need to speed this along. There has to be a way to damage him properly."

Mentally, he flipped through the abilities he had on hand. His Buster, Zero's Saber, the boosting abilities of the Blade Armor... there was also the Ultimate Armor, which had finally been repaired and could be activated if things got desperate enough...

Of course, there was also the data he had collected from the investigators themselves. It was a fifty-fifty chance, whether Isoc and Gate had made High Max immune or at least resistant to the attacks of their other pawns.

Glancing at Isoc again, X decided he was willing to gamble on it.

He would end this in one shot.

Instead of another energy blast, High Max formed a glowing shield around himself, patterned oddly similar to the crystal formations around them. He rushed at X with the intent of ramming him, but even High Max's deceptively high speed wasn't enough to match the Blade Armor's maneuverability. X easily jumped over the charge and hovered in the air as High Max rushed past and crashed into one of the crystalline walls.

While High Max struggled to right himself, X called up the data from Blaze Heatnix, one of the investigators he had defeated, and let the flame energy infuse Zero's Saber, holding it until a charge formed. But that alone wouldn't be enough. X let more energy flow through the Blade Armor and into the Saber, setting up the Giga Attack. The two techniques overlapped and merged, making the blade of Zero's Saber glow like a star going nova.

As he slashed down with the burning blade, a wall of flame was let loose. It engulfed High Max, disintegrated the crystal structure around him and melting the remains of Eurasia.

When the flames disappeared, leaving behind molten slag that still glowed with heat, what remained of the black Reploid's battered form reached fruitlessly toward X.

"N-no!" High Max ground out, his vocal components barely functioning. "I am s-superior in every way! An old robot like you... This can't be t-true!"

Finally, the damage proved too much. High Max's body jerked as something vital gave out and ruptured. His reaching hand froze as power went out of his limbs. The only movement remaining in the body was the bending of overheated metal.

X watched what remained of him for a moment longer, before turning toward Isoc, his next opponent. But the researcher seemed remarkably unconcerned, more annoyed than anything, even as X purposefully moved toward him.

"Tch," Isoc scowled. "So High Max wasn't enough. To think Light's final creation would prove this resilient. How frustrating."

The mention of his creator made X pause, his eyes narrowing. He raised his Buster threateningly, but Isoc only scoffed.

"Shoot me if you wish. It makes no difference." Spreading his arms wide, he glared venomously at X. "You ancient piece of junk! It's not over! I'll destroy you myself!"

Isoc was a researcher, a non-combat model with no detectable weapons. X wasn't prepared for him to attack. He was taken completely by surprise, when something suddenly shot out of the researcher's body, a glowing energy construct - An ability? A Virus? A Nightmare effect? - that rushed at X.

He released his shot even as he dashed aside, without waiting to see what would happen. The glowing shape, whatever its true nature, did not dissipate. Though he continued to fire, his shots seemed to have no effect on it, barely causing a disruption in its energy pattern. Its form constantly shifted, barely humanoid, but with two distinctive protrusions on the sides of its "head" that looked almost like horns.

Giving X no time to regain his footing, it turned and attacked again. It was fast, unnaturally so, and he couldn't get away before it reached him. Its limbs slid through his armor, just like a Nightmare's, and a ripping, burning sensation tore through X's systems.

It was the same as Virus infection. No, worse - so much worse.

X barely bit back a scream. He could feel the gleeful, sadistic joy of the thing above him as it - he? - thrust its limbs deeper and moved closer to his central systems. Somehow, X was certain he wouldn't survive having them come into contact with this apparition, but his body refused to respond to his commands.

It was almost too late, its hands grasping at his core, when it suddenly screeched and tried to rear back.

A shining blade thrust through the ghost's body from behind and was slowly dragged through its middle, tearing it in two. The apparition flailed and screeched, but trapped between X and its assailant, speared upon the saber blade, it couldn't get away. Behind it, X caught a glimpse of the Zero Nightmare, released from the force field holding it in place.

The ghost flailed back, its limbs bending backward to strike at the Zero Nightmare. Where the two beings met, their insubstantial forms overlapped and disrupted each other, leaving their edges shredded and torn.

Finally, the Zero Nightmare ripped its saber clear through the ghost. The two halves seemed to reach for each other, but, cauterized, couldn't reconnect. X's eyes widened as the Zero Nightmare lifted its sword in a familiar motion, and he barely rolled out of the way as it unleashed Zero's final move, Genmurei.

The ghost was cleanly split in two again, this time too damaged to even try to reconnect. The energy contained in the silhouette shuddered, as if struggling to maintain its form, then released explosively. Buffeted by the blast, X tried to shield his eyes. Someone - a voice that sounded familiar, distorted though it was - laughed, pained but gloating, before being suddenly cut off.

As the light faded, X dropped to his knees. Isoc's prone form lay crumpled beside him. What kind of attack had that been? His sensors, coming back online sluggishly, showed only that Isoc's body had just broken down. The readings were unsettlingly familiar. "...Like the Erasure Incident. Then, was that... his Soul?..."

Looking up, he saw the Zero Nightmare. It seemed almost... torn around the edges. It looked at him for a moment, as if trying to convey something, before suddenly collapsing in on itself. Bright lights - Souls - burst outward in all directions, passing through the walls and making the crystal formations glow.

To X's surprise, one of the lights passed through a wall he had assumed to be another part of Eurasia's structure, causing the same effect. Standing, he moved away from Isoc's body and placed a hand against the glowing, inscribed surface. It felt different, even when the light faded away.

Coming to a quick decision, X took a step back and lifted his Buster. A simple shot bounced off harmlessly, but he followed up with a charged one that shattered the block that had made up that section of the wall.

Another passage opened up behind it, made of the same conglomeration of metal and crystal. But the light that shone from both had dimmed, and X found himself moving through a twilight gloom as he cautiously proceeded onward.

X paused, certain that he had heard something. Though his sensors showed nothing, half-scrambled as they were from the Nightmare lingering here, he trusted his instincts more. Moving silently, X paused at a corner and raised his Buster.

Whirling around the edge, he aimed down the passage, ready to shoot. But the sight that greeted him made X stop cold.

It was Zero.

X shoved the thought away sharply. He should have been ready for this, but somehow the sight of his friend's face on an enemy always threw him off balance. Trying to cover up the opening his hesitation had created, X switched to the Saber and raised it to counter the blow he felt certain was coming. The fake was almost upon him.

But it wasn't attacking. If anything, it had fallen back in surprise at the same time X had. It was staring at him wide-eyed now. X had a moment to realize that it was different from the Zero Nightmare - too solid, too real - before it opened its mouth and demanded in Zero's voice...

"X, what the hell did you do to my Saber?!"

/ / / / / / / / / / /

Notes: Down the rabbit hole. Also, forget game mechanics. I don't want to hear it.

I miss Alia. (:( ) But at least Zero is finally here! (Yes, spoiler, it's really Zero.) This story probably should have been marked as X/Alia for characters, but... anyway.

So I was writing about the Zero Nightmare. And then I got to this chapter and thought, okay, so what exactly is it? Is it like Alia said, a Nightmare that is based on Zero's data? Created by Gate, or by Isoc? Or is it Zero's ghost/DNA Soul/whatever? Or does it exist because of Zero's unique connection to the Maverick Virus?

And then I thought, what am I doing? This is MMX6. _There are no answers._

Incidentally, that's why Zero just kind of turns up at Isoc/Gate's lab. He got repaired by Isoc, as Gate hinted way back in chapter 4, but besides that...? Pfffft. I dunno! I'm just being true to the material! (:V) Same for Isoc. (The original theory is that the program Sigma and Zero "came into contact with" back in Wily's abandoned fortress was the one Wily used to become some kind of cyber ghost. His ghost can possess Reploid bodies, like Isoc and Serges way back in X2. And also talked to Sigma in X5. But, you know, that's just one theory.)

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /


	8. Reploids are flawed

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**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 08 "Reploids are flawed."  
**Notes:** You guys are lucky I already finished writing. Otherwise, I would have descended into writer's block from this "one review per chapter" thing. Mysteriousguy898, this post is to you. As is the last one. And the one before that, actually.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

"So that's how it is," Zero commented, irritation clear in his voice, once X finished his explanation of everything that had happened since Eurasia's crash.

Of course, the first thing X had done was to sheepishly disengage the Blade Armor and hand Zero his Saber back. Instead, X had switched to his Ultimate Armor. They were on the final stretch now. With Zero by his side, X would put an end to this nightmare.

"What happened to you?" X wondered, turning to his friend. "I searched everywhere for your signal or at least your parts, but I found nothing..." And before him, the Hunters had searched as well. Now that he knew the location of Isoc's lab, X wondered if they had simply arrived too late. Had the researcher hidden down here before the Hunters even arrived, taking Zero with him? He had had Zero all along, all while blaming him for the Nightmare phenomena, X realized, scowling furiously.

He quickly smoothed his expression into a calmer, determined cast when he noticed Zero eyeing him oddly.

"I don't know. I just woke up here a little while back and tried to find a way out," Zero replied with a shrug. "Well, there's no way I'd lose to Sigma, after all. I'm glad to see you alive, too."

"Do you want to return to Hunter Base?" X asked, realizing suddenly that he had no idea about Zero's status. Was he still damaged? Did he need repairs? Did he want to scan his systems, to make sure nothing strange had been done to him?

It wasn't as if X couldn't proceed on his own. Just knowing that Zero was alive made him feel that much calmer and stronger. A weight he hadn't realized he was carrying had been lifted from his shoulders.

Zero snorted. "No. I'm a Maverick Hunter, and there is a Maverick we need to face. Let's go." Stalking past X, he led the way deeper into the bowels of Eurasia's wreckage.

Not too longer after, X wondered if he regretted that decision. The two of them stared down into a pit filled with a writhing mass of Nightmare Virus. It pulsed disconcertingly, and as the Hunters watched, Nightmares gradually separated themselves out of the tangle, forming the familiar torsos and tentacles. Deep inside, a giant eye opened and stared at them malevolently.

"I think... this might be the source," X said, trying to swallow his revulsion. The two Hunters exchanged a long-suffering look.

"Don't even think of just staying here and sniping," Zero warned him, a igniting his Saber. "We're in this together, partner."

X glanced away sheepishly. (Ab)using the Ultimate Armor's aerial ability was probably out too...

/ / / / / /

_Gate stood alone in the laboratory, his white lab coat in stark contrast to the darkened room. He cut an inspiring, but also intimidating figure as he looked up at his incomplete creation, encased in one of the faintly-glowing capsules._

_It took Alia a moment to work up the courage to approach him._

_"You've really outdone yourself," she said, looking up at the in-progress Reploid as well._

_"Just another step forward," Gate told her. "He's meant for the Recycle Laboratory. With his analysis of Maverick DNA data, we might be able to gain a better understanding of the Virus... and take another step toward countering it."_

_Glancing to the side, Gate caught her eye, and the two shared a smile._

_"He should even be able to resurrect Reploids from their DNA data," Gate added, turning back to his creation. "Maybe I'll call him 'Prayer'..."_

_Alia's smile fell. "Gate, DNA resurrection is illegal," she said hesitantly. "And the rest of the Research Team is already on edge, since this one also can't be analyzed..."_

_Gate scoffed. "It's just because they are too incompetent," he said. "They can't understand my work, so they try to drag me down to their level... But that's not the way to progress. Nothing will be discovered like that. Someone has to be willing to go further. Doppler knew that. It's only thanks to him that we even know about the Virus, and about DNA programs at all."_

_Doppler ended up a Maverick, Alia didn't say._

_Biting her lip, Alia didn't remind him that she couldn't analyze his programs either. Reminding him of the disparity in their abilities would only remind him of the growing disparity in their ranks. Alia had already hidden her latest advancement from him. There was no way she could admit to being given special assignments from the boss, while Gate became more and more isolated._

_They still shared a dream, but the distance between them only seemed to grow wider._

/ / / / / /

"Alia, that was unlike you," Signas said calmly, his gaze never wavering from the large screen in front of him. It was subdivided into many smaller displays, showing the progress of numerous ongoing Hunter missions. No doubt Signas was able to follow each of them even as he spoke to the Navigator in the room with him. That was the reason he had been made Commander.

X might have been out of contact, but the world didn't suddenly halt in its tracks and wait for him to return with bated breath. The Hunters had to carry on. They had work to do.

Alia nodded. She didn't have a reply for him. Providing X with the trace to High Max's destination without getting Signas's authorization was not technically wrong. With a Hunter in the field, a Navigator had a lot of leeway for independent judgement. She should have known not to let X follow High Max, but she wasn't clearly in the wrong.

Unlike X.

Might as well go for broke, Alia thought. This... rebelliousness made her feel almost light-headed. "The transmission was heavily garbled by the Nightmare phenomenon," she said in a carefully neutral tone. "I'm not sure X was able hear us."

Signas sighed. He had apparently resigned himself to X's willfulness and her own support of it. Suddenly, Alia felt guilty for making things so difficult for him. Signas had been an exemplary commander who only looked out for his subordinates. Now, more than ever, the Hunters were relying on him.

"You don't need to defend him," Signas said. "I understand that X is in a difficult situation. We have placed unreasonable demands on him, so he deserves our support. I was simply surprised. You are usually more... rigorous about procedure."

"This situation... it's got me off balance," Alia explained. She hadn't been able to say her suspicions to Signas, but she had outlined the damning facts in a report. The clinical, emotionless words she had used let her keep her emotions detached from what she was writing. It was the only way Alia had been able to admit that Gate might be...

Signas nodded, not sympathetic, but not cold either. Somehow, he conveyed that his faith in her skills and her ability to do her duty remained unshaken. It was what she needed.

Suddenly, the screen in front of them flickered, and the data on the Hunter missions dissolved into static.

"Incoming transmission," Alia reported, her voice tense as she worked quickly through the incoming data. "It's going straight through our defenses; we can't block it!"

As the static cleared away, Gate's face appeared on the screen.

"Greetings, Hunters," he said, taking on a falsely-pleasant expression. "I congratulate you on defeating my stars... and finding my lab. That was your doing, wasn't it, Alia? You're superior as always. You always were at the top."

"No," Alia disagreed quietly. "Your talent was far beyond mine. I just did as I was told, and you didn't. That's the only difference."

"No matter how great your talent, it's meaningless if not used properly," Signas said, taking Gate's attention off her. "Just what is your intention?"

"I aim for an ideal nation of only high Reploids. That's why I'm eliminating all those low ones," Gate replied easily.

"And how do you plan to decide who deserves to live?" Signas asked. "Even Reploids are not perfect. I believe you know that quite well."

"I'll admit Reploids are flawed, and some go Maverick," Gate said, his expression turning bitter. "That's why I was misjudged. But I feel confident in my recent creations. Have you figure it out, Alia, the secret of the Nightmare?"

"Only you could have created such an advanced virus," Alia admitted. She hadn't been sure. There hadn't been enough data to back her up. But seeing Gate now, she felt certain of her guesses. "The Nightmare isn't just to cause Reploids to malfunction. If a certain code is used, the Reploid can be manipulated freely. The real purpose of the Nightmare is to control Reploids."

"Control...?" Signas repeated, his eyes narrowing as his mind took in this information.

"That's right," Gate said. "I will become ruler of the new world."

"Gate, don't you understand the situation? You might die too!"

"I know," Gate confided, his smile growing. "This is a golden opportunity, with so many lost to the Eurasia Crisis. Now, I can easily control everyone remaining. Finally, I can realize my dream!"

"Are you still holding a grudge? Is this your revenge?" Alia demanded. "Gate, please, delete the Nightmare!"

But he only laughed.

"Don't let him bait you," Signas cautioned her. "A world built on a virus won't last. This is your last chance. Surrender."

Gate sneered. "Don't preach to me when you use force too. And even you Hunters couldn't maintain peace! ...I can't forget... They murdered my creations instead of appreciating them. They were such wonderful Repoids. Aren't your precious Hunters the same? They can't be analyzed. They pose great risk. But you don't dispose of them... Well, we'll see how far those two relics can go."

"Those two..." Alia repeated, even as Gate's transmission cut abruptly. "I see. So Zero is there with X. I'm sorry, Gate... I should have supported you back then. But now, all I can do is support those two and help them stop you..."

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Notes: So I was listening to the Japanese voice acting in Zero and X's reunion. And... man. That line, "join hands and never let anyone sever us again." It's another great example of subtext (as interpreted by my fangirl mind), but it's actually totally different in Japanese? I'm reasonably sure X just continues his previous thought about how this is already a crisis situation, the Earth is going to be completely ruined _if everyone doesn't work together, and he won't forgive Gate for interfering with that_. It... has nothing to do with Zero, except the part where he says they'll fight the Nightmare together.

So, yeah. (:o) (:O) I fully support this translation decision!

I always kind of wondered at Gate's sudden human-hate. I mean, we get no indication that his colleagues at the research center were humans. Alia sure wasn't. It seemed like he couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to get revenge on "low Reploids" or get rid of humans. I guess maybe it's a sign of him being infected with the human-hate Virus...?

Only two chapters left! (And then the X5 special.)

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /


	9. One more experiment I'd like to perform

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 09 "(I have) one more experiment I'd like to perform."  
**Notes:** I had so much trouble choosing a title for this chapter. Close runners up were "It was a piece of Zero", "If use the wrong way..." and "There is no limit. Look at you."

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

They had been traveling in darkness for a while. Even Zero's drawn Saber failed to illuminate their way. The walls seemed to absorb its light. X could feel the strange Nightmare texture as he trailed his hand along one of them.

It gave way as they entered some larger chamber. As had been the case since he had gone under Eurasia's ruins, his sensors provided nothing of use.

X felt a shudder crawling up his spine; he was completely blind. The only thing in his sight was Zero's silhouette. As always, Zero looked unconcerned, by the darkness, the sensor blackout, the unknown enemy in front of them, even the uncertain way he had ended up there. X couldn't help but smile.

"Welcome," a voice suddenly announced. It didn't boom or echo. It wasn't deep or ominous. In that sense, it suited its owner, who dropped down in front of them noiselessly.

His white lab coat and violet armor gave him the appearance of another Nightmare, especially in the tinted glow of the Saber. His expression was calm, but with an undercurrent of something like hunger.

"So you're Gate," X said. The researcher tilted his head obligingly.

"I've been waiting for you," Gate confided with a narrow smile. "Most impressive, defeating all of my Reploids. I had thought that my designs would surpass you..."

"Surrender now," X implored him. "You're making a big mistake!"

"No, no," Gate replied, shaking his head. "I still have one more experiment I'd like to perform. It has been quite enlightening, watching you fight. I learned so much..." He pulled off his lab coat in one smooth motion, at the same time triggering a program like the ones X used for his armors. His form glowed as gold flowed across his armor, changing its shape into something made for combat. The same lab coat flapped behind him like a white cloak.

"Now, I'd like to test out everything I have learned," Gate told them, sweeping out one hand. A distortion, formed by the Nightmare, burst forth, like an opening in the fabric of reality. Both X and Zero jumped away, readying their weapons. But when the tear closed, Gate was nowhere to be seen.

"It's the same as the walls and everything here! The Nightmare is hiding him from sight!" X realized. His eyes darted around, but there was nothing to be seen, no sensor readings to go on.

Automatically, he half-turned and backed up until he was standing back-to-back with Zero, who only huffed in something like annoyance. "If he spends all his time hiding, this is going to take a while," Zero grumbled.

Something rushed at them from out of the darkness. Both of them jumped away, but where the attack landed, a blue-tinted distortion formed out of Nightmare energy. It dragged at them, like a black hole. X gritted his teeth as he tried to resist, though he knew Zero, with his higher maneuverability, would have an easier time.

"You can't escape," Gate told them from somewhere in the darkness.

"You're the one who's running," Zero shot back, firing his Buster into the anomaly. Disrupted, it exploded, sending its energy sweeping through the room. Gate grunted, becoming suddenly visible in its wake.

As he faded out of sight again, X and Zero exchanged a look.

"Doesn't look like you have that power under control," Zero called out, stepping forward as X readied his Buster. It was their usual method - Zero would draw fire, while X went after their opponent. Or in this case, turned his attacks back against him.

Still, X felt a thrill of apprehension. The last time they had done this…

"Hmmm... I wanted to keep silent on this, but I think I'll tell you after all," Gate shot back. "To be honest, I didn't get this far on my ability alone. I picked something up, you see. I thought it was just rubbish at first. But... It was actually a piece of your body, Zero. That was how I obtained your DNA data."

"What?" Zero froze in shock. "You used... my data?"

"Oh yes," Gate explained gleefully. "I created High Max and the Nightmare from it. I couldn't contain my excitement. You see, I couldn't analyze it completely, even using the latest technology. It was fabulous!"

He laughed, genuinely excited. It was an oddly happy, light-hearted sound. X could almost see the Reploid Alia had worked beside, the one whose genius and dedication she so admired... before all of that had become twisted.

In front of him, X could see Zero's rigid back. Maybe it was the light of the Saber, but it almost looked like he was trembling.

"How dare you?!" Zero yelled, gesturing sharply with his Saber. "Delete the Nightmare Virus now! It's too dangerous! It'll be your undoing!"

"How strange... You're usually so calm," Gate mused. "Are you really that concerned with what I created? Or... are you just projecting your own feelings onto me? After all, I would have never been able to derive the Nightmare from you if you weren't an unnatural aberration. Just think, if it hadn't been for you... none of this would have happened..."

"Shut up!" Zero shouted.

Distracted, he couldn't dodge in time as Gate suddenly appeared behind him and opened another rift. Zero yelled out in surprise and pain, barely managing to pull away as it closed. One side of his body had been heavily damaged in the attack.

"Enough!" X declared, taking guard position over his partner as Zero picked himself up.

But Gate carried on, his voice cold. "The Nightmare is just a fraction of what you're capable of. There is no limit. Look at you. As long as you exist, new 'Nightmares' will appear. You have to die to restore peace. Everything will come to an end only if you're gone-"

"Shut up!"

It was X who shouted it this time. "You're wrong," he continued, forcing himself to speak calmly, and not entirely succeeding. "If it's Zero's fault, then it's mine too. None of this would have ever happened if I hadn't existed."

"X-!" Zero tried to protest.

"But it did happen. And we're here now. All we can do is fight to make it better! To fix both our mistakes and the things that aren't our fault." X looked back over his shoulder, his gaze meeting Zero's. There were so many things he wanted to convey. Do you know how worried, how scared I was? I couldn't even begin to accept that you were gone! Please stand by me. We'll fight, together.

He turned back to the darkness. "None of this is Zero's fault. You did this. All for your own ego! I won't let you use Zero or hurt any more Reploids!"

"Don't worry. I've experimented enough on low Reploids," Gate sneered. "What I need to do now... is to destroy you relics!"

He punctuated his words with another attack that blossomed into an anomaly, this one glowing green. X and Zero dashed away, but the distortion followed after them. As if on cue, the two of them split up, Zero falling back just enough to make the attack home in on him.

Left free, X turned back and opened fire at the anomaly. It ruptured quickly under his assault, and this time X watched closely as the blast swept out, creating a moving glimpse of the room they were in. He was ready when Gate's figure appeared for an instance and snapped out a charged shot.

"It's useless!" Gate exclaimed angrily, batting the shot away. Even as he vanished from sight, his voice continued to emanate from somewhere in the darkness. "I told you, I studied your battles. Your attacks won't work! And neither will the ones you got from my creations. There's nothing you can do!"

X and Zero shared a look. There was a chance Gate was wrong. X had many powers, and he hadn't used all of them against the investigators, but there was a far more obvious omission in Gate's boasting.

X wasn't the only one fighting.

So they were going to switch it up.

"Gate… it wasn't their fault either," X called out, both trying to reason with the researcher and draw his attention. "What happened to your creations was wrong. But what you're doing is wrong too! This is your last chance to stop! I don't want to fight you! I don't want to lose any more Reploids!"

"...You don't know anything," Gate said. "I can't forget or forgive. It's too late, for everything. So just disappear!"

Another anomaly, glowing ominously red, burst to life in front of X. He tried to dash away, or raise his Buster, but his body's response was slowed. It felt like the air itself solidified and dragged against him. His eyes darted to Zero's, and the two shared the same thought.

Even without turning, X knew that Gate had appeared behind him, already forming another rip in space. Having realized the same thing as X, Zero had turned to dash toward him, Saber raised and energy gathering for a technique. There was no way X could get out of the way in time. Instead, he didn't try to fight the anomaly's freezing effect and simply allowed himself to stand still. This time, he would trust Zero.

In the last moment, X recognized the technique Zero was using.

With a battle cry, Zero brought down his Saber, the blade extinguished just before it reached X, and released the energy he had gathered. X couldn't see the effect but he knew - a hologram with Zero's silhouette had appeared just behind him, carrying out the attack that Zero was too far away to accomplish himself. It was Soul Body - or rather, Sougenmu, the Twin Dream.

Gate gave a short, choked scream as the illusion's phantom saber cut into him as surely as Zero's own blade would have. As he crumpled to the ground, the Nightmare energy he had been controlling released. The unnatural darkness hiding their surroundings vanished, as did the anomaly holding X in place.

The large chamber revealed was completely covered in the same crystal formations. Its original shape could not even be determined. Half-completed warped skeletal frames of Reploids hung partially engulfed by the crystal growths.

Turning, X looked down pityingly at Gate's damaged form. Zero had held back and, with his usual precision, delivered a non-lethal blow.

"Kugh... I lost even though I used Zero's DNA..." Gate shuddered as his systems struggled to work around the damage. They would shut down before long, but he could be repaired... if anyone wished to do so. "I should've analyzed it more... Wa... was there a fault... in the program?"

"Zero's data has great power," X agreed somberly, "but it's meaningless if you use it the wrong way." He glanced at his friend - Zero had turned away, his back to them.

Gate smirked, the expression pained. "But... this isn't the end. I don't... give up so easily. I prepared for this just in case. Haha... It wasn't quite a success... but I... brought back... Si... Sig... ma..."

/ / / / / /

Notes: Okay, I lied. It's pretty gay. But! I got most of it out of X's X5 endings. It's all canon, man.

Except X7. What is that? (:V) (And yet, I lie again, because I made an outline of how I would adapt MMX7, too.) Actually, X7's greatest problem is that it makes no sense in relation to MMZ. Which, admittedly, seems to follow X's "without Zero" ending _and_ Zero's ending. It's a mystery. (I mean, really, Sigma's on his last legs, so there would be no need for a special Antibody Program/Mother Elf, New-Gens are apparently the next big thing, but they never come up in MMZ, 7-8-CM take place over a pretty long period, so the timeskip to MMZ would get even more ridiculous, etc, etc.)

Also, I don't want to hear a word about game mechanics. I don't care, you hear me. I just don't. Gate was a stupid gimmick boss anyway.

I do like how the piece of Zero Gate holds up in the game is shaped like a heart. How cute.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /


	10. I have no time to waste on you

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 10 "I have no time to waste on you."

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

"Sig... ma..."

Even before Gate breathed out the last syllable, X and Zero were moving. It was almost a reflex to jump back and ready their weapons, searching for their greatest enemy's new monstrous form.

"...I did not die," that dreaded voice boomed. "Nor d... did I need your help! Now get lost!"

Suddenly, one of the incomplete Reploid frames jutting out of the crystal growths jerked to life. Its eyes flared crimson and its lower jaw snapped open, energy gathering in its maw. Instinctively, X and Zero dodged away.

They didn't realize it wasn't aiming for them.

"GhaaaaaaAA!" Gate screamed as the blast tore into his prone, already-damaged body. The lower half was completely destroyed, and bolts of energy ran across his head and torso, damaging internal systems beyond repair. He jerked mindlessly for a moment longer, and then went limp.

The sight of his half-torn body was frighteningly familiar, just like the sound of Sigma's triumphant, bloodthirsty laughter.

"I knew you'd return," Zero said coldly, reaching for his Saber. "Time to end this!"

Pushing away his unease, X readied his Buster as well.

This would teach him to trust anything Dynamo said - whether the mercenary had been lying or just didn't know what he was talking about.

"Kgeh!" Sigma hacked, tearing his limbs free of the crystal. "Is it... X...? Or Zero? Who cares! Just g... go away!"

X could see now that his body had not been restored completely. The inner workings were exposed, covered only by a tattered sheet, without any armor or casing. Having freed himself, Sigma gracelessly dropped to the ground, his limbs jerking uncoordinatedly, and rather than straightening, flopped loosely into an upright position.

"You don't seem to be all there, Sigma," X noted grimly.

"Silence!" Sigma roared, swinging himself to face in his direction. "I'll destroy y... you! Even with this half-completed body!"

X didn't bother with further words. Instead, he simply unleashed a charged shot. Even as he fired, Zero was dashing forward, his Saber drawn to attack in the moment Sigma was off balance. He followed up with a shot from his Buster as well. Each attack drove Sigma further back and finally sent him flying into a wall. Making no move to regain his meet, Sigma simply slid to the floor almost lifelessly.

Zero jumped away neatly and dropped into a ready stance, knowing better than to relax so easily. Sigma's crumpled body shuddered as he began to laugh, a deep, ominous sound.

"Bha ha ha ha! Not yet!" Sigma's voice emanated from his shaking form. His limbs jerked unnaturally, and something groaned as if sliding out of place. His head thrust up, laughing despite its contorted position, and his torso followed it, twisting around toward X and Zero.

The cloth sheet had been destroyed, leaving his skeleton and parts on full display. Even the skin-like covering on his head had been ripped away, showing a copper-tinted skull. X could see the pistons in his limbs catching and shuddering, unwilling to accommodate the motions Sigma tried to make.

"THE BADDLE HAZ JUSD BEGUNN!" Sigma's distorted voice boomed, the words slurring together. "DIE! JUSDIE, XS, ZERRRROOO!"

"What is he saying?" X wondered. "His mind is gone, but he still remembers revenge..."

"Let's put him out of his misery," Zero said, raising his Saber.

Suddenly, green slime began to leak from among Sigma's innards. It wasn't any sort of hydraulic fluid, and X didn't need the failure of his sensors to tell him it was another Nightmare effect. The green goop flowed quickly and began to pool around Sigma. But instead of spreading further, it gathered together and bubbled strangely.

Round holes appeared on the slime spheres, three together, then gaping mouths beneath them. Skulls leered at X and Zero, as Sigma continued to laugh, wet and sickly. Then, they attacked.

The skulls went down easily, from X's Buster or Zero's Saber, but even as X fired without pause, they just kept coming. They swarmed until Sigma's decrepit body was hidden from sight, forcing the Hunters back... and away from each other.

X stumbled, barely avoiding a skull's lunge for him. Sparing a glance down, he saw that the green slime had flowed across the floor and under his feet. It was much thicker than it looked, almost swamp-like in consistency. Or rather, he realized belatedly, it was purposefully clinging to him. The sludge gathered around his legs and pulled sharply, sending X tumbling to the floor with a yelp.

"X!" Zero called out from amongst the still-multiplying skulls. "X! Hold on!"

X struggled to get up, but the slime had gripped him tightly. He couldn't feel it through his armor, but he knew that it would not be long before it began to filter through the joints. It was a terrifying thought. He needed to get loose.

"Let him go, Sigma!" Zero yelled. His energy suddenly flared, clear even among the viral readings.

Light swept across the room as Zero unleashed his Giga Attack. It burned away the skulls and the sludge, leaving X suddenly free.

The tableau that greeted him sent a flash of horror through his core. With the slime gone, Sigma had become visible again. His maw was gaping open, revealing the cannon installed inside. It was already powered up - Sigma had been planning to aim for X, incapacitated as he had been. But now, he swung his head toward Zero, who stood on one knee in the wake of his own attack. He wouldn't be able to move quickly enough, X knew. He wouldn't be able to dodge.

_"I'm taking Zero!"_

X didn't know if Sigma had truly spoken or if the memory of the words was repeating in his mind. All he could remember was the last time they had faced Sigma, Zero's broken body lying just out of reach, his own foolishness that made Zero sacrifice himself over and over again.

"I won't let you!" X roared, overwhelming energy engulfing his body as he threw himself at Sigma with reckless speed.

His Nova Strike crashed into Sigma's crippled body, allowing X to plow right through. The flawed incomplete form gave way almost too easily, as even the Virus supporting it was quickly burned away. Fragments went flying in all directions, littering the crystal floor.

"Gwaaaaaaaaah!" Sigma howled, the sound transforming into laughter, even as his body continued to fall apart. "It's USELESS! You know... it is, X! You can't defeat me! You know... you can't, X..."

Straightening, X turned to regard him coldly. "I have to work for the reconstruction of the world. I have no time to waste on you," he told Sigma. "If you show up, I'll defeat you, no matter how many times it takes."

"Bha ha ha ha! Don't f... forget you said that! That gives me the motivation to c...come back! I will! I... will... Woaaaaaaah!" A Buster shot blasted what remained of him, finally silencing the Maverick.

"Just die," Zero muttered, lowering his still-smoking Buster.

He and X exchanged a long look. Neither could believe it was over. Not just this battle, but also their struggle against Sigma.

/ / / / / / /

The entire room shuddered, almost sending the Hunters to the floor. The Nightmare readings were quickly clearing away, and with them, the Nightmare effects were also disappearing - including the crystal formations that had formed the chamber they were in.

The floor beneath them dropped away, and X just managed to air dash to the nearest metal ledge, as Zero jumped and then jumped again to land beside him. X glanced back, catching sight of Gate's body falling amongst the chaos of the collapsing ruin.

"X!" Zero barked. His voice was harsh, but his expression showed a certain understanding, even though he didn't know who Gate really was or how much he meant to Alia.

X nodded and turned away, accepting there was nothing he could do.

They raced back the way they had come, through Eurasia's collapsing passageways. There was no sense of time in the chaotic rush, but it wasn't long before they burst into the room where X had confronted High Max and Isoc, their bodies now half-buried under rubble.

To his surprise, the computer bank was still functioning, the large screen displaying some kind of progress bar.

"An automatic download," X realized, pausing and studying the display. "In case something happened to this place... Gate didn't want his research to be lost."

It was almost complete.

Eurasia's ruins continued to collapse around them, but X hesitated for a moment, long enough for the computer to flash a "download complete" message. X dashed to the terminal, pulling out the data disk and backing away just in time to avoid the length of pipe that crashed through the monitor.

"I'll lead from here!" X called out, hurrying toward the opening he had used to enter, when he had started his assault. He paused, hearing no response. Come to think of it, why hadn't Zero already berated him for lingering here?

Zero stood not far away, seemingly lost in thought as he stared down as Isoc's body. His expression was hard to read, filled with disquiet.

"Zero!" X called out again, louder, making his friend start and glance at him in surprise.

There was no time to ask what had distracted him so much. Only sparing a moment to make sure Zero was following, X led the way out of Eurasia's collapsing ruins, the data disk clutched firmly in his hand.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

In the chaos of the final stretch, they had to improvise a path out as the old opening gave way and ended up surfacing somewhere else entirely. In the distance, the ruins of an unknown city rose out of the dust clouds created by the lab's destruction, which dyed the rising sun a deep orange-red.

"It's over," Zero commented as they sat down to rest and wait for transmission to reestablish, after the debris settled down again.

"Yeah..." X agreed half-heartedly, though he couldn't bring himself to truly believe it. After Eurasia, he had thought it might be over, but it was beginning to seem like Sigma would never truly die.

"X..." Zero began, looking away, into the red distance, "you've become a lot a stronger. Thanks, for back there. I guess, now you'll be fine on your own..."

X stiffened. "No!" he burst out. "I... We need everyone! To restore the Earth, everyone needs to work together! We need every Reploid we can get..."

"...Right. Sorry about that," Zero conceded quietly, glancing at X. "I'll do my part. You can leave the hunting to me..."

The silence that fell between them was broken by static blaring across their comms. It quickly resolved into Alia's familiar voice.

"...Can you hear me?" she demanded. "Are you two okay?"

"I'm okay," X replied.

"Same here," Zero added.

"Welcome back, Zero," Signas's voice came across now, and X wondered if he had been waiting with Alia for their signal to reappear. "Your unit is on deployment right now, but they'll be happy to have you back in command."

Zero smiled, looking pleased and maybe even touched. Signas had not reassigned the 0th Unit to a new captain, or disbanded them; in his own way, he hadn't stopped believing that Zero would return.

"Um, Alia," X said hesitantly. "...I have some data for you. It's... Gate's research."

Zero glanced at him, and X suddenly remembered that all of Gate's data was based on a piece of Zero. But Zero only shook his head. "That's just like you," he said quietly. "Well, that's fine. Don't lose that kind heart of yours." He crossed his arms and leaned against a piece of rubble, closing his eyes and symbolically giving X and Alia their privacy.

"It's up to you, Alia. Did I do too much?" he wondered as Alia remained silent. "I just... I know what it's like to lose a friend..."

"...No. Thank you, X," Alia said finally. "Thank you, for Gate's sake as well. I'll do my best to achieve our dream. I'll develop a program resistant to corruption and viruses."

"Right. We'll all do our best to restore the Earth," X said. "We've got a long road ahead of us."

"Yes. Let's build a real utopia... together..."

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Notes: It's over!

Well, kinda. I still have the MMX5 special flashback chapters, hahaha. Yes, plural. That stupid ending dragged on and on, so I split it in four small sections.

So, random stuff. In the fight with Sigma, X probably could have just broken free with his own Giga Attack, but I guess Zero didn't think of that. Also, I spent ages agonizing over how the Hunter command structure works. Units have commanders, but Signas is apparently a commander too, in charge of the entire organization. And in X5, X is referred to as a Captain. So, I decided that Units would have captains.

Yes, X didn't bring Gate, and instead took his data. (I doubt we'll ever see Gate again, so it's not a real problem.) There are reasons for this. Sinister reasons. (If you read between the lines, Gate's plan is... exactly like Weil's plan. He wants to use an energy-based life form created from Zero (Nightmare/Mother Elf) to control Reploids, with a giant Reploid, also built from Zero, as the core (High Max/Omega). Did Weil just crib from Gate's notes or something? ...Heheheh...) Gate was also the first person to get anywhere analyzing Zero's DNA data, well enough to create the Nightmare, which is basically the first step toward the Mother Elf and Cyber Elves in general.

But hey, that's not something we need to worry about. This is the end of X6. It's been a fun ride. Thanks, to all of you! (But especially you, mysteriousguy898.)

/ / / / / / / /


	11. 00 Origin

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**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 00, part 1 "Origin"  
**Notes:** This four-part special shows how the end of X5 went down. In other words, it's all about X getting expositioned at and acting very not-gay for his partner. Really.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Everyone had gathered in the command center, looking up at the screen in silence. Their eyes were fixed on the constantly updating stream of data on the Shuttle Mission, their last chance to avert disaster. Whether it failed or succeeded, there was no more time, not to cobble something together, not to evacuate, only to pray.

But would any deity listen to the prayers of robots?

Even Alia's calm composure had been worn away by the last 16 hectic hours, and she couldn't stop herself from making a sound of surprise and unease.

"The speed of the Colony is increasing," Alia reported, forcing her voice to remain level. "This was not in any of our projections..."

"It must be because of the high concentration of the Virus in the Colony," X said. "It's altering the Colony's properties. Can we still make it?"

"I'm sure it'll work this time!" Douglas insisted with wavering confidence. The engineering corps were still stinging from the failure of the Enigma weapon, and they had thrown everything they had into repairing the long since retired Space Shuttle. "We did everything we could to strengthen the Shuttle..."

"Zero, the Colony is approaching," Alia called into the comm. "Can you make it?"

"Locking on to the Space Colony," Zero relayed. "There is a lot of debris around here. I'll have to pilot the Shuttle through manually, or it'll be destroyed before it can crash into Eurasia."

"Zero! Be sure to come back safe!" X reminded him.

"I'll get as close to it as possible, then abandon the Shuttle," Zero agreed. "It's time to go. I'll cut communications in 5 seconds. See you soon."

"Good luck, Zero!" Signas said strongly, his voice and demeanor strong despite the stress of the situation.

"Good luck, Zero," X echoed quietly, though his friend could no longer hear him.

"7 seconds to impact," Alia reported. "5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Collision confirmed! …...Destruction rate is... 70%..." She trailed off, her eyes moving frantically between data streams. "The Colony won't be burn up entirely... The pieces will still impact... Our mission..."

"It'll be enough," Signas said firmly. "Get me a simulation of the impact scatter! Will the base be safe? And try to find out where Zero will come down."

Alia and the other Navigators scrambled to gather the data. "Yes... we're outside the impact radius..." Alia said distractedly. "But Zero... he should come down at..."

Following the data on the screen, Signas saw the same thing Alia had realized. "Zero! Can you read me?" he tried to call across the comm, but the connection was completely gone. "No! He'll be sucked into the Colony debris..."

"Zero will make it and get out okay!" X protested. Even to his own audio receptors, he sounded desperate.

"We'll get him from wherever he falls," Signas assured X, forcefully regained his composure. "Until then, all we can do is wait."

They waited, silently, paralyzed with dread.

Time seemed to lose meaning as everyone watched the countdown to first impact. At the last moment, X closed his eyes and turned away. Even without looking, he could tell when the pieces of Eurasia began to make contact. The room shuddered, though Hunter Base was well outside the range of the resulting tremors. Rather, all those watching trembled as sensors were knocked out by the advancing wave of impacts and a blank spot spread across the world map.

There was no telling how bad the damage was. There was no telling how long it would take for the fallout to die down enough to judge the devastation, much less send recovery teams. There was no telling how long they stood there, watching and praying as the meager available updates scrolled past and projections updated.

Suddenly, X flinched and looked up at something just beyond his sensors.

"...I... I can feel Zero..." he murmured in confusion. "How is this possible?"

"Wait!" Alia exclaimed, reacting to her own monitor rather than to his words. "I got a reading that looked like Zero!"

"Then, Zero is alive?" Signas asked.

"This power is incredible. It even comes through the interference... It's like Zero, but not him exactly..." Alia muttered.

"It's Zero... I know it is," X said, with a strange confidence that drew unreadable looks from Alia and Signas.

Alia shook her head, eyes darting across the readouts. "It's... a new virus...? The scraps of the Colony Virus and the Sigma Virus combined together...?"

Signas's expression hardened. "For the moment, we'll call it the Zero Virus," he said. "Keep monitoring it."

"I'm getting an even stronger reaction from the impact site!" Alia reported. "The energy is too strong to get an accurate data sample. It must be Sigma. I can't think of anything but Sigma having this kind of strength!"

X nodded decisively. "We can use that signal to target the transfer," he said. "It'll be enough to punch through the interference."

"What?!" Alia demanded, snapping around to face him. "It's too dangerous! You can't go!"

Signas agreed, "I understand how you feel, but you need to calm down and think straight. With the Virus concentration so high, and the fallout from the crash as well, even you wouldn't be able to function there for long. We won't be able to send you any reinforcements or even pull you out. And if you disappear... the who will protect the Earth?"

They meant well, and everything they said made sense, but X couldn't stop himself from glaring. "What about Zero? Are you going to sacrifice him, a soldier that fought to save the Earth and all of us?! Do we have to let my best friend, my _one and only friend_, die?!"

Alia looked away, but Signas only met his glare evenly. The tension between them mounted until Signas sighed and gave in. "Alright. I won't stop you from going." He gestured to Alia, to set up the teleport.

She hesitated for a moment, looking between him and X. "...I see... Of course, it's like that," she finally admitted. "We're leaving everything in your hands. Stop Sigma and bring Zero back, X!"

"Bring this to an end once and for all!" Signas ordered.

Nodding, X smiled grimly.

/ / / / /

_"...Get up... ...Wake up! ...Did you forget... what you're supposed to do? ...Destroy it now... You can do it! You're the greatest of my works... Wake up!"_

Zero jolted awake violently, straining against the half-ripped passenger harness. The way down had not been smooth, and the last thing he remembered was being dragged along in the wake of the Colony debris as it rushed toward Earth. The escape module of the Space Shuttle was almost completely totalled around him, and Zero felt like he was trapped in a half-crushed metal can. He wasn't even able to get loose without resorting to his Saber.

But wasn't there something strange...? He remembered getting banged up before being knocked out, and he probably taken even more damage afterwards. So why was he almost completely repaired...?

The sight that greeted him outside the escape pod was a depressing one. The land had been ripped apart and reduced to a wasteland, while heavy clouds of dust covered the sky.

"Did I... fail?" Zero wondered. Had he... failed to save anyone at all? "Was the Earth ruined after all? X? Alia?" But there was only static over his comm. It felt like the end of the world.

But something wasn't right. It wasn't just dust and debris clogging the air; the Virus readings had already whited out his sensors. He could feel the Maverick Virus around him. He shuddered at the strange sensation.

Someone laughed in the distance.

The scenery was changing in front of his eyes. The sky took on a sickly purple hue, and mysterious, unreadable lights began to flicker in and out of sight. His few working sensors were quickly reduced to snow, leaving Zero with only his instincts to go on.

_"He he he."_

He wasn't imagining that laughter. It wasn't just the wind. Zero spun around, trying to find the source, even as his surroundings were swallowed up by the growing darkness.

"Who's there?!" he demanded, turning slowly.

"He he he he. Calm down," Sigma's voice echoed from the darkness, making Zero scowl furiously. "I'm here..."

Zero drew his Saber, holding it in front of him, but its faint glow couldn't penetrate the unnatural shadows or the faint glow of the Virus that slowly gathered, mist-like.

"Let me tell you about an old man I met," Sigma continued, giving his voice a storyteller's deceptive lilt. "He told me you're something far greater than what you appear to be. Tell me, who is this old man?"

"How should I know?" Zero snapped back. "I don't care about your guessing games!"

"You must know him. Don't tell me you've never met him... in your dreams."

Sigma's words stopped Zero cold. His dreams... How could Sigma know about those? Or... was this all in his head? Was he just hallucinating under the effects of the Virus?

"I don't... know him..." Zero protested faintly, shaking his head.

"He seems very interested in you... almost like a parent..." Sigma taunted him. "It was on his advice that I tried to use the Virus to return you to your true form. But you haven't show any signs of waking up..."

"Shut up! I won't become a Maverick! I won't yield to your pitiful Virus!"

"You misunderstand. I'm not talking about becoming a Maverick. You felt it, didn't you? A tremendous power filling your body..." As Sigma continued, Zero felt himself shudder. It was all too close, too true. "...The power of the Virus. That's because the Virus purifies your body and returns you to your true form."

"Shut up!" Zero yelled back, gesturing sharply with his Saber. It didn't matter, he reminded himself. None of that mattered. "I won't allow you to escape this time, Sigma! I'll put an end to this!"

"You can destroy me, but death is all that awaits you, too..." Sigma admitted uncharacteristically. Though his voice retained a faintly mocking edge, something in it was almost... strained.

"I'm not afraid to die," Zero said evenly. He had done it before. He had trusted in X then, and he trusted in him now. "But I won't die alone..."

"Gha ha ha ha! So that's how it is," Sigma mused. "Well, it seems X is somewhere close by... The three of us can die together. You won't be lonely if X is with you..."

For a moment, Zero's heart leapt at the thought of X being close - X was alive! - but the emotion quickly turned to dread. "Leave X out of this!" he demanded.

"He he he he," Sigma laughed again. "Tell me, Zero... Which of you is stronger, you or X?"

"What difference does it make? We're both stronger than you!" Zero shot back. But this time, there was no reply. The feeling of Sigma's presence had faded away. "Where are you, Sigma?! Face me!"

He had been left alone with his own fears, a growing dread and the cloying sensation of the Virus seeping into his systems.

/ / / / / / / / /

Notes: The names of the four parts come from the subtitles of the four stages in Zero Space. I don't actually ever use that term in-story because I like calling it Null Space better. But I also made a commitment to remain as close to canon terminology as possible, so...

/ / / / / / / / /


	12. 00 Grief

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 00, part 2 "Grief"  
**Notes:** Most of these parts are actually quite short.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Coming out of the transfer was oddly jarring, as if his signal had been disrupted in the process of rematerialization. X couldn't quite resist the urge to quickly check whether he still had all his parts.

Looking around, X suddenly understood what had caused the strange reaction.

The entire area was saturated with the Maverick Virus, in all its mutations. But that wasn't what caused most of X's sensors to return nothing or complete nonsense and even his eyes to play tricks on him.

Rather, everything had been completely transformed into an unnatural space that couldn't have existed anywhere on Earth. Thick darkness covered the entire area, mysterious lights dancing in midair and running along the ground, which had taken on a flat, almost crystal-like texture. Looking up, he couldn't see the sky or clouds. A pattern of interlocking hexagons flashed overhead momentarily, like a barrier.

"What is this place...?" X wondered. "Am I really at Eurasia's impact site? Or... did I get lost in the transfer?"

It sounded fantastical, the sort of plot sci-fi B-movies used. But at the moment, it appeared as plausible as anything else.

Steeling himself, X closed his eyes and reached out for the feeling of "Zero" that lingered somewhere in his core. Turning toward that feeling, X raised his Buster and set out.

Ghost lights continued their dizzying movements, closer and further, in a pattern not unlike circuitry. They remained just out of his reach, like a mirage, and destroyed any sense of distance. He couldn't begin to imagine what the area looked like under the bizarre effects. His secondary sensors fluctuated so wildly that X was quickly forced to simply disable them.

That was probably not a wise decision.

X paused, narrowing his eyes. Another wave of lights flowed in front of him, and the shadow he had glimpsed behind came into focus. It was…

"Zero?"

The same ghost lights passed between them again, but X was certain the figure he had seen was his friend's. He rushed forward, stretching out his hand.

"Zero, I knew you'd be alright!"

X noticed only a moment too late that something wasn't right. It was Zero's form, certainly, but it wasn't his friend - simply a tinted hologram of him. It was the same as the Sigma Virus manifestations that had spread across the world. This was the Zero Virus that Alia had detected in the wake of Eurasia's crash.

As X tried to back away, the Virus lunged at him. It didn't bother with weapons or techniques. It simply reached for him, its energy field clashing with his own. In an instance, it dissolved, losing Zero's shape as it slid through his armor and penetrated his systems.

The Zero Virus was much more potent than the Sigma Virus, X knew right away. It took prolonged exposure to the Sigma Virus to even begin to affect him, and even then his internal protection dampened and purged the effects quickly.

The moment this Virus entered his body, X felt his systems seize up. With his internal signals thrown into chaos, his parts ground unnaturally against each other, no longer moving in concert as they responded to false commands. Then, his antibody programs kicked in, trying to fight back and delete the Virus. It felt as if molten metal had replaced his hydraulic fluids, burning through his limbs.

_"...X... Hold on, just a little longer..."_

He thought he saw a blue light.

Finally, the Virus was almost entirely purged from his systems, leaving him numb and shaking. As his disrupted systems realigned, X opened his eyes, blinking several times to focus them.

He stared, wondering if his visual input had been corrupted after all. In front of him was a fuzzy glowing hologram... but there was no projector, nothing at all in vicinity.

"D... Doctor Light?" X muttered, stunned. "...This is impossible..."

The image of the old man chuckled. "No, not impossible. Simply improbable," he said with a wry humor. "It's this place, X. Here, dreams and reality intersect. Because of the high concentration of the Virus, the walls between dimensions are thin, and even those without bodies can appear."

Slowly, X shook his head. "...I don't understand," he admitted. "Did I get lost along the way?" He shook his head again, sharply. "I don't have time for that! I have to find Zero!"

"Yes, your friend. He needs you," Dr. Light agreed. "He is here. That's why that powerful Virus was created. He is able to absorb and reprocess the Virus, but there is simply too much. So a counter-reaction occurred as well. When the weaker, unraveling strains came into contact with him, they merged together and took on his pattern and form..."

"This isn't Zero's fault!" X protested. "He never wanted anything like this! He risked his life to save the Earth!"

Dr. Light didn't take offense, only smiling at X fondly and a little sadly. "Yes, he chose his own fate. That's the ability I wanted you to have: to choose your path. I'm sorry that the two of you must fight so hard against the chains of the past," he said. "I wish you could just forget it all, the things that happened back then and the things it all caused..."

"No," X declared, almost abruptly, "I want to remember everything, even the painful things."

Dr. Light looked up in surprise as X shook his head and looked away into the distance, into the darkness and the shifting lights.

"'Just forget about it...'" X repeated. "That's what I said too. Isn't it better to just forget the past? …To run away." His eyes narrowed. "But I was wrong. The past isn't something we can just forget. It's part of who we are. ...I wondered for a long time, why you created me, what I was supposed to do." Turning back to his creator's image, X held his gaze firmly. "But, Doctor Light, I never once doubted whether I was grateful for this life. I always wanted to tell you... Thank you, for creating me."

For a moment, Dr. Light turned away, shoulders shaking faintly. Even if it was just an illusion, X wondered if it could cry.

"Yes, well," Dr. Light said briskly, turning back, his eyes oddly bright, "I never expected you to end up here without armor." Surprised, X looked down at his armor. It had indeed reverted back to its basic configuration. The armor programs, being periphery additions and not part of his main systems, were far less well protected and rather prone to corruption and damage. "It's too dangerous to go without adequate equipment, so I'll give you this, the Ultimate Armor."

He laid his half-transparent hand on X's shoulder, and X felt something warm flow into his systems, downloading into the armor and reconfiguring its shape.

The new armor was a little darker than his standard, thicker and lined in black and gold. X flexed his hand, skimming through the armor's parameter data. It was certainly powerful, and also very efficient with its energy usage.

"Thank you," X said, smiling at the figure of his creator.

"Don't depend too much on its power," Dr. Light warned him. "I haven't been able to test it as thoroughly as I would have liked." He looked away, into the shimmering distance. "It's almost over... Good luck, X."

X followed his gaze, expression tightening. "Zero.. hang in there," he murmured to himself. "Doctor Light, I..."

He trailed off, realizing that he was suddenly alone again. The hologram was gone as if it had never been there.

/ / / / / / / / /

Notes: Okay, so X's armors are clearly programs that are used to transform his standard armor. That's the only thing that makes sense.

Dr. Light is really big on just "forgetting about it." He tells Zero to forget about the crazy old man in his dreams, and then he tells X to forget (about Zero) in the worst ending.

This part was annoying because I actually had to make up new dialogue instead of cribbing it from somewhere. Woe is me.

/ / / / / / / / /


	13. 00 Awakening

/\ \ \ \ \

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 00, part 3 "Awakening"  
**Notes:** Assume it takes Sigma awhile after releasing the Virus across the world to realize it's not enough to awaken Zero and decide to use Eurasia instead.

/\ \ \ \ \

_The area was largely nondescript and long since abandoned. Even the signs of an excavation had almost entirely been worn away. However, the end result of that search was still obvious - a doorway set in the rock wall._

_Zero looked up at the massive double blast doors, welded shut by the last Reploids to leave this place, years ago. _

_Well, he could understand why those Reploids had felt a superstitious need to try to seal away any evil that still lurked there. Here, they had lost many comrades to a demon, and even their leader had been mangled and changed. _

_It might have been a case of too little too late. _

_Reaching back, Zero smoothly drew his Saber and made one swift slash, before re-sheathing the sword. A moment later, the doors groaned and slid apart, cleanly separated. Their collapsing weight made a great crash, sending clouds of dirt flying outward past Zero and inward, into the still darkness beyond._

_As the dust began to settle, Zero stepped into that darkness, out of the small window of light created by the doorway. _

_He looked around slowly, letting his sensors adjust to the lack of light. The entire cliff had been hollowed out, and a little further in, catwalks led downward, as the bunker continued below ground. Machinery of unknown purpose lined the walls. _

_All of it was dark now. Whatever had been in this place was long since gone. _

_Zero's eyes lingered on the damaged places - a hole in the ceiling, broken pipes, a dented wall - and on the dark stains spread across the floor. _

_Forcing down a shudder, he closed his eyes. He knew that if he looked now, his hands would be stained red. _

_"...This is... ...my dream..."_

_"Zero?"_

_It took Zero a moment to realize that voice hadn't been just another hallucination. _

_He turned sharply, only to be forced to squint. A figure stood framed by the light of the doorway, but Zero easily recognized the silhouette. It wasn't the madman in his dreams, just his partner. _

_"X," Zero replied, tersely. "How did you find this place? I thought my file was lost when the Mother Computer was sabotaged."_

_X stepped into the bunker, blinking as his eyes adjusted. "Alia tracked you," he said distractedly. "This place... why would it be on your file? What is it?"_

_Zero turned away. "...This is where it started. This place was uncovered by an archeological team. It was built... around the same time you were sealed away. They thought..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What they found... was a demon. All of them were slaughtered. The Maverick Hunters dispatched a unit..."_

_"They found a Reploid here?" X asked, surprised. "But if this place was only just uncovered, then..." _

_Zero didn't answer, continuing heedless of the interruption. "But that entire unit was also wiped out. Then, the Commander of the Maverick Hunters stepped forward himself. They fought... a bitter battle... that he only barely won... But instead of destroying that Maverick, the commander had him retrieved..."_

_"...I never knew that Sigma did something like that," X said. "But, Zero, how do you know...?"_

_"That Maverick was me."_

_Glancing back, he met X's shocked gaze, and quickly looked away again._

_"When I was reactivated, Dr. Cain explained it to me. I joined the Hunters... but I kept seeing this place in my dreams... killing the Hunters sent after me..." Zero shook his head. "I finally remembered the location. I thought I might find some clues here..."_

_"Zero, there's nothing here," X told him, rallying against his shock. "And even if there was, it doesn't matter. All of that is in the past. Just forget about it."_

_"I can't. I can't get away from it," Zero replied blankly. "The Sigma Virus got spread all across the world. It's causing Reploids everywhere to transform into Mavericks. Even you've been negatively affected. But... I'm not harmed. Instead, I feel energy growing in my body. If anything, I've been repaired. My memories were restored... the files that got corrupted are being purified... Why is this happening? I have to find out the truth."_

_X looked away, almost guiltily. "Zero... I was sent to bring you back. You're tired, aren't you? We've been stretched thin since the attack on the Statue. Come back to base and get a check up."_

_"Lifesaver must have checked my virus readings. Of course, he would notice. He must have told Signas. I guess they've decided it's too dangerous," Zero mused. "And you were sent to take me back, by force, right?"_

_"No! I came here because I'm really worried about you!" X exclaimed. "You just disappeared, when we're in the middle of a crisis! I'm worried about you... and that's why I'll bring you back even if I have to fight you!"_

_"Fight me? X, you can't. Your kind heart wouldn't let you," Zero said, almost incredulously. "I'm okay. I just need to do this. Trust me."_

_"...I do trust you. I don't want to lose you. That's why I can't believe you'd do this! Are we really going to fight over such a trivial matter? Are you really refusing to trust the Hunters and come in?" X gestured sharply, his anger, frustration and fear getting the better of him. "Just like the Repliforce?!"_

_"What?!" Zero turned sharply, his expression shocked and pained. _

_X flinched, realizing he had gone too far. But he wasn't willing to take it back either. "Soldiers never lay down their weapons, is that it?" X continued quietly, looking away. "You disappeared during the mission at the Statue, and your readings have been strange, and now you just disappeared again. Isn't it only natural for everyone to worry? Signas wants to trust you. I trust you! So please... don't refuse out of pride."_

_"...It's not pride. I have to find out the truth," Zero finally replied, his tone defeated and almost pleading. "You understand, don't you? What it's like to wonder where you came from and why you were made..."_

_"Then we'll find out. I'll help you," X agreed, smiling tentatively. "But first, we have to deal with Sigma. We have to protect our future."_

_Stepping forward, he placed his hand on Zero's shoulder. It was more for his sake than Zero's, who couldn't really feel the contact through his armor. At that moment, X needed to reassure himself that his friend wasn't going to disappear without warning or push him away after all. _

_With another, stronger smile, X began to move toward the doors, pulling Zero along with him. When they stepped outside, he couldn't hold back a sigh of relief._

_Just as X was about to comm the base, a transmission connected from the other side. Alia's voice came over the comm, oddly rushed for the usually controlled Navigator. _

_"X, Zero! Hurry and transfer back now!" she ordered._

_X frowned, even his self-control worn down by worries. "If this is about Lifesaver, tell him to-"_

_"It's not," Alia cut him off. "Just... get over here quickly. It's Eurasia. It's... falling."_

/\ \ \ \ \

He had finally found Zero, but...

X felt a hollow thrill of fear and despair, looking at his friend's strong back. An ominous aura surrounded Zero, as well as a crimson glow.

Finally, Zero seemed to notice him, turning to look at X calmly.

"...X," Zero greeted. "I'm so happy now... I've never been so happy... My mind is becoming so clear. I know everything now. Mavericks, the Virus, the world, none of it matters. All I have to do is only thing..."

"Zero... you are Zero, aren't you?" X wondered. Not a single sensor could tell him the difference between the person in front of him and the manifestations of the Zero Virus. But X was sure this was his friend. He could feel it.

"Mm..." Zero drew out. "The energy readings are still the same... and there is no Maverick reading, is there? You're reading my normal data. This is my true form..."

"...You're wrong. The readings might be the same, but you're different." X shook his head. "You told me before that there are things that can't be seen or analyzed, things that we can only feel... Right now, I feel that... Zero, you're still in there. So I'll fight. I won't run away! I'll defeat you and bring back the true Zero!"

Zero smiled, unsettlingly. "Then there's no more need for talk!"

He burst into action, bearing down on X, his Saber drawn.

It felt like the hardest battle X had ever fought. Not just because his opponent looked like Zero. This wasn't Zero. X was fighting for Zero's sake, to bring him back. But he had all of Zero's skill and combat experience.

Furthermore, his opponent was also much more powerful than Zero. The Virus was fuelling him, giving him more energy for his attacks and letting him regenerate. Usually, stamina and defense were Zero's weaknesses, but this twisted version could very well outlast X, even with his new armor. If anything, the ominous aura was only thickening.

He had to put a real shock to his system. He had to wake up Zero, before the Virus in him grew any stronger.

But it appeared he might be too late.

The Virus aura around Zero thickened almost palpably, and he raised his Saber overhead. X felt his breath catch as he recognized the technique - the one Zero had been perfecting, meant to cleave an opponent in two with just one strike, Genmurei. The Saber flared brightly, the blade extending, before Zero brought it down. This was Zero's pinnacle technique, leaving no room for escape or evasion.

Desperately, X drew on the full power of the Ultimate Armor, feeling it surround his body in a barrier that was both defensive and offensive. As he dashed into Zero's attack, the power of the Nova Strike clashed wildly with Genmurei for a single long moment before X managed to break through.

He had thought he would have an opening. Zero had claimed the technique was incomplete because it couldn't be used reliable and left him too exposed. But it seemed this false Zero didn't have the same handicap - even as X broke through to the other side of the Genmurei and his vision cleared, he could see Zero raising his Saber again to repeat the same technique.

X's mind raced as he tried to find something to use. He couldn't continue to rely on Nova Strike. There was a cooldown time, short though it was, and he could already tell that Zero could repeat Genmurei faster. Each successive Nova Strike would edge X closer to Zero, giving him less time as well.

Closer to Zero...

That gave him an idea. With one more breakthrough, he would be in range... This would put a strain on his systems, but X knew he had no choice.

Then, Zero swung his Saber down. X was already activating Nova Strike again, and in the next instance, the two techniques clashed once more. This time, X didn't wait for his vision to clear. He knew Zero would be readying the next attack. There would be no room for error. Even before he had broken all the way through Genmurei, he switched from the Giga Attack to a copied ability and activated it without waiting for his armor to finish reconfiguring.

Soul Body shot out in front of him, covering the distance between X and Zero. In that one vulnerable second, where Zero had yet to unleash his next attack, it crashed into the other Hunter with full force.

X landed awkwardly, caught and buffeted in the wake of Zero's technique. But he ignored the damage, already charging his Buster. He knew Soul Body would only be enough to momentarily knock Zero off-balance.

"Zero!" he yelled. "Wake up!"

His charged shot plowed into Zero's chest plate, where the armor was thickest - thick enough to protect Zero from the worst of the damage. The other Hunter was thrown back, hitting the ground hard and making no move to get up. X himself also stumbled and fell, the strain of using so many different abilities so close together catching up to him.

The two Hunters lay motionless, both battered but far from deactivated. But neither made any move to continue their battle.

Zero groaned, stirring first as X waited with dread. "...Urgh... X..." He squinted up at the unnatural 'sky'. "I never expected you to attack with Soul Body. You've really... come a long way..."

Breathing a shuddering sigh of relief, X allowed himself to finally relax. "Zero, you're back," he said. "I'm glad... I'm so glad..." As his systems quickly realigned, he sat up and began to reach for his friend. Finally, they could leave this place and regroup with the other Hunters. They had a long road of them, but he was sure that, together, they could...

That easing feeling of relief made the cold shock that followed all the worse.

Smug, evil laughter suddenly echoed around them.

"Sigma," Zero growled, painfully forcing his body to move. Without thinking, he and X moved toward each other, battered but ready to fight. They should have known it wouldn't end without this, while Sigma was still alive.

"You almost fully evolved into your true self..." Sigma gloated, his form coalescing out of the Virus mist. "It's a shame you didn't quite make it, Zero. And now, I'm going to kill you."

/\ \ \ \ \

Notes: Okay, guy(s), explain it to me. Why is Sigma surprised to realize that Zero was a Maverick in X4? No, really. Sigma reminds Zero that he used to be leader of the Maverick Hunters. Then he (?) flashbacks to how he and Zero first met. And then Sigma goes, "Zero! You were a Maverick?" And Zero asks if he's that surprised about it.

I'm sorry, but nothing in that sequence makes any sense. Did Sigma just sort of forget that Zero was the Maverick he himself fought and ordered repaired? How?! Zero doesn't look that different! He's still red! He still has the girly hair!

Also, I'm... gonna pretend that room you fight Sigma in, with the two broken capsules and Zero and X's schematics in the background is just a symbolic thing created by the Zero Space, because I can't honestly believe that Zero and X were found in the same place.

Next chapter, we finally finish this little side-story, after Sigma talks, and talks, and talks. And then gets his ass handed to him.

PS: FF-dot-net keeps eating my scene breaks!

/ / / / / / / / /


	14. 00 Birth

/\ \ \ \ \ \

**Title:** Mega Man X6: False Awakening  
**Chapter:** Stage 00, part 4 "Birth"**  
**

/\ \ \ \ \ \

"He he he he," Sigma chuckled darkly, floating above the two wounded Hunters. "Impressive... You came much earlier than I expected. It was pointless to have Zero fight you. You really are the number one Hunter. You show no mercy for enemies or comrades... The stronger you are, the more I want to destroy you, X..."

X didn't care for Sigma's taunting. It was all lies, in any case. But one thing caught his attention.

"Why did you do all this?!" he demanded.

"Because of Zero... to awaken Zero from his false self," Sigma revealed, smirking as Zero flinched. "You see, Zero and I... we are the same. We hold the same potential. Back then, when Zero first appeared as a Maverick, during our battle, he and I came into contact with a very special 'program' that changed our nature. That is how I was able to surpass my prior self."

X's mind spun furiously as he remembered the place Zero had visited right after the Statue mission, when the Virus had become rampant across the Earth. He remembered what Zero had told him. It matched up with what Sigma was saying. But, X thought with a scowl, what he had said back then was also true. It didn't matter. None of that mattered. Zero was a proud Hunter who had saved numerous lives. Not like Sigma, a traitor and a lunatic who wanted to wipe out humans and enslave Reploids to his will.

"I wanted to find out how far Zero could go..." Sigma mused, "so I scattered the Virus all over the Earth to purify his body. But the amount of the Virus was insufficient. So I used the rundown colony to multiply the Virus and bring it to Earth. You know the outcome, don't you?"

It was too much. X choked on his fury, unable to even find words to express his rage.

Smirking, Sigma turned to the other Hunter. "Zero... I'll ask you one more time. Don't you want to acquire the power of your true self?"

"Go to hell!" Zero bit back shortly.

Finally finding his tongue, X demanded, "You almost annihilated the Earth for that?! You're sick!"

"I knew the Earth would be safe and sound, thanks to the efforts of you Maverick Hunters, ever ready and able to come to the rescue. It's just too bad most of you have also become Mavericks..." Sigma shrugged, but his shoulders shook tellingly, despite his falsely serious expression. "It was close, wasn't it? Ha ha ha ha!"

"You...!" X shook with barely suppressed fury. "How many Hunters have been lost because of you...?! I'll never forgive you for this! You're going to pay for what you've done!"

He almost started toward Sigma, but a heavy hand on his shoulder held him back and tempered his rage. Using that hand, Zero hauled himself to his feet. "We'll finish this battle once and for all," he said firmly.

Watching them smugly, Sigma spread his arms. "Here I am. You can challenge me at any time!" he taunted them. His shimmering cloak was thrown off, floating down too slowly for something so large, before disappearing into the Virus mist.

But despite his words, he was the one who attacked. Without warning, Sigma lunged for them, violet afterimages trailing behind him.

His intent had probably been to separate X and Zero, but the two Hunters chose instead to go up, X air dashing, Zero double jumping, to clear Sigma's path. Flipping in midair, they aimed their Busters and simultaneously fired at Sigma's exposed back. Their shots spiraled together into a single attack that crashed into Sigma and sent him stumbling.

The two Hunters landed and turned quickly, ready to fight, but to their surprise, Sigma simply stood up and flexed his back. The white armor was barely scorched.

"Good, good," Sigma praised. "But you'll have to do better. You see, I have some delightful news. I've recently acquired a new partner. He was quite interested in you, X. He hates you as much as I do, so he gave me this amazing new body to bring about your end!"

Sigma turned, again spreading his arms, showing off his new form. It was certainly different from his usual construction. The sleek, simple lines of the white armor spoke of a powerful, understated design. It was obviously very strong as well.

Again, Sigma didn't wait for them to attack, taking the offensive himself. With a sweep of one arm, he sent out a large blue shockwave that bore down on the Hunters unrelentingly. Instead of trying to dodge away, X dashed straight into it and activated Nova Strike again. The Ultimate Armor protested the strain, but Sigma's attack was far weaker than Genmurei had been.

Breaking through the shockwave, X didn't stop until he plowed into Sigma himself. As the Maverick roared in anger, thrown off balance, X air dashed out of the way. Zero followed on his heels, having simply ducked under Sigma's attack. He drove his Saber into Sigma's already-damaged armor, cleaving it open and cutting deep into the circuitry underneath.

Grasping at his wounds, Sigma stumbled back and suddenly faded from sight. He had merged back into the Virus-infested mist around them, using it to recover and regroup.

X and Zero drew together again, holding their weapons at ready.

The Virus surged together, concentrating tangibly in one place. The thick mist separated into clusters, revealing Sigma's form in the center of the aberration. Each cluster solidified into a manifestation of the Sigma Virus, like the ones that had plagued the Earth since Sigma's failed "experiment".

Zero darted forward, drawing the Viruses to him. During the mad rush to prevent Eurasia from destroying the planet, he had taken to allowing the Sigma Virus to infect him, taking advantage of the power boost it gave him, but now Zero fastidiously evaded each head, slashing at any that got too close.

For his part, X hung back and continued to lay down cover fire on Sigma. The uncharged shots didn't do much damage, but they kept Sigma distracted and off-balance, so that he couldn't react in time as Zero appeared in front of him, Saber flashing.

Sigma's left arm sailed through the air, cleanly detached with one stroke.

But even as he clutched at the stump, Sigma only laughed.

"Don't think it'll be that easy!" he gloated. "I've surpassed my prior self!"

The Virus gathered around him, great clouds of it swirling overhead like a storm cell and being sucked into a towering tornado that glowed from within. Zero backed away quickly, returning to X's side, and just in time, as a giant hand thrust out of the Virus clouds to grasp at the place where he had stood.

The Virus storm burst apart with a great roar, revealing Sigma's new form – a giant torso, clad in cobalt armor. It was roughly constructed, almost as if sloppily welded together, and seemed to simply emerge out of the unnatural ground. Two clawed fists hovered next to him, disconnected from the main body, each as large as X or Zero.

Sigma's face, as out of place as it had been on the Statue, sneered down at them.

The two giant fists rocketed at X and Zero, forcing the Hunters to scatter out of the way. X took to the air and, instead of retreating, air dashed at Sigma's head. He quickly called up the power of Nova Strike, intent on taking care of Sigma quickly.

But in the moment before impact, Sigma's form suddenly flickered and became an insubstantial hologram, allowing X to pass right through. It solidified again behind him, and one of the fists swung around to target him.

Changing directions in mid-air, X just barely avoided the sharp spikes on its knuckles.

Sigma smirked, but his triumph didn't last long. Zero hadn't been idle. Using the hand that had been targeting him as a platform, he launched himself Saber-first at Sigma's head. His aim was a little off - his spinning slash carved deep wounds in the right side of Sigma's face.

The Maverick roared in pain, momentarily fading into a hologram, only to solidify again and send both fists at Zero. The two Hunters exchanged a quick look, deciding on their course of action.

While Zero distracted Sigma, X got into position and leveled his Buster at the center of the Maverick's head. He pulled all his energy into his next Charge shot, past the normal limit, to the edge of what the Ultimate Armor could do.

Sigma's attention was drawn by the brightening glow of X's Buster, and one of his fists opened, palm turning to X. Energy gathered quickly in his hand, but just as it was about to release, Zero intercepted it, slashing deeply into its circuitry and sending its beam off course.

With a war cry, X let his Plasma shot fly.

It plowed into the center of Sigma's forehead, straight into the gem. The Maverick's face contorted into something monstrous as it warped and melted under the power of the blast.

"Gwaaaaaa!" Sigma's roar turned into a deep groan as his Virus-created body began to dissolve, melting into the ground. "Damn… But I'll never die alone!" With a last surge of will, he grasped with his remaining hand, taking Zero by surprise. The Hunter cursed as he was caught in the massive fist, even losing grip on his Saber.

"Stop it!" X yelled desperately, too far away to do anything in time. "Let him go!"

"Gha ha ha ha… Isn't it painful to have to watch while others suffer?" Sigma taunted, his voice beginning to give out as his body continued to deteriorate. Power was building up in its core, and excess energy crackled through him and through Zero, paralyzing the Hunter. "You can put up with your own pain… but can't bear to see others harmed, can you? Especially Zero, the one most important to you! That's why… I'm taking Zero… down with me! Goodbye, X… Gha ha ha ha!"

Sigma's mocking laughter and X's scream of denial were drowned out by the explosion.

It sent X flying through the air and crashing into the ground, whiting out his vision and scrambling his few working sensors. Combined with the stress he had been putting on it, the damage was finally too much for the Ultimate Armor program as well, and his armor reverted back to its basic configuration.

But none of that mattered. Even before his sight restabilized, X was scrambling to his feet and stumbling in the direction where Sigma - where Zero - had been.

"…Zero? Zero!" X called out blindly. "Zero!"

His eyes darted around in search of even a fragment of red or gold among the Virus-induced indigo. Zero couldn't be gone. He didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. Zero wouldn't lose to Sigma. There was no way.

There. A flash of red and gold.

Hobbling to his friend's side, X dropped to his knees and reached out tentatively. His hands shook as he took in Zero's state.

Zero's lower body had been completely destroyed, leaving only his torso, head and a single arm intact, all scorched and heavily damaged. Even Zero's proud mane had been reduced, the ends blackened and melted.

That was alright. Zero had been through worse. He had survived self-destructing. This time, X wouldn't leave him behind for the Mavericks to find. He would take Zero back to the Hunters. They would repair him.

"Zero," X called out, reaching to pick up what remained of his friend's body. "Don't die. You hear me? Don't you dare, Zero!"

Hadn't Zero been awake back then? He had still been able to speak to X, despite being in the same state. Why was he silent now? Was he really...?

Caught in his own fears and doubts, X didn't notice the Virus flowing together in the place where Sigma had been. The ruptured ground warped, as if something was bubbling up inside it. The distortion rose, and three openings tried to form. But two caved inward, leaving only one hole to glow with an ominous red light.

Beneath it, a large maw wrenched open, a malevolent voice hissing out even as energy gathered deep within it.

"... … … Dro... Drop dead...!" Sigma choked out.

"...Uh? N-no..!" X glanced over his shoulder, realizing the danger a moment too late.

Sigma had aimed his final shot well. The blast was narrow but focused, and it tore through both Hunters, piercing their chests completely.

"...Gu, ghaa..."

Shot from behind, X couldn't even retaliate. His body refused to respond, and all he could do was watch, oddly detached, as Zero slipped from his grasp and began to fall.

Zero's eyes slid open - the shock had jolted his systems, jerking him into consciousness - and focused with a strangely lucid gaze behind X, on Sigma. His arm shifted into a Buster, pointed over X's shoulder, toward the hideous remains of their enemy.

A smile spread over his face, the sort of grin X hadn't seen since the Repliforce incident.

Zero's last shot was weak, pulling dregs of power from a dying core, but it was enough to tear through Sigma's twisted remnant. It disintegrated, taking with it most of the Virus. The mysterious lights began to dim as the area slowly returned to normal.

But neither Hunter saw the result as they crashed into the ground and lay motionless.

X met Zero's gaze, still piercing blue but growing more and more unfocused. Zero was fading out, and so was X. Was he speaking to X? He couldn't hear him anymore.

His own thoughts were all that remained, desperately disappearing into the darkness.

_"... ...I'm... losing strength... ...I can't... see anything... ...Ze... Zero... Don't... leave... Please... stand... by me... ...I'll... protect you... Zero..."_

The last thing he saw was Zero's faint smile... but Zero was already...

/\ \ \ \ \ \

Meager updates continued to scroll across the main screen. The Hunters watched, mourned, and waited.

"Alia, can you give me an update?" Signas asked briskly. He had already begun to formulate response protocols and deployment schedules. Soon, every moment and every Reploid would count.

The Navigator shook her head, never taking her eyes off her monitor. "The Earth avoided the worst situation," she said. No matter how grim it seemed, they had survived. That was already a victory. "I don't have any other information..."

Signas nodded slowly. "How about X and Zero?" Everything they could do and everything they could attempt would end up meaningless if X and Zero failed against Sigma. But somehow, Signas did not feel the need to even consider that possibility in his calculations. How strange. Was that what people called faith?

"There are no readings on them, but... I believe they're alive..." Alia admitted.

"It's unusual for you to say that, without any data," Signas said, smiling faintly. "But I believe that too. They're alive... and we'll find them. Soon."

Their fight was just beginning.

/\ \ \ \ \ \

Notes: ...So, yeah. It's done.

What am I gonna do with myself now? Should I do X7? I would have to seriously twist some stuff around to make that palatable. And it would still end up shorter, since there weren't nearly as many loose threads.

Or an AU of some kind? I've had a few ideas. Like an all Megaman series crossover, that starts with Yuichiro helping Dr. Light design X early (and we know that Yuichiro doesn't believe in silly things like 30 year testing periods for his human-level AIs). Or maybe a basic AU story about X and Zero as Hunters, without the Virus (since I think the series would be pretty different without it). (I would aim for homoeroticism, but we've seen what my idea of gaaaay is.)

Or maybe a Resident Evil crossover, as an BN-style alternate timeline, where both Light and Wily lost that science prize... to bioengineering.

Or move on to another fandom? It's hard to keep a good fan enthusiasm going with so few good Megaman X stories... (Or I could, you know, focus on real life things. ...Nah.)

The possibilities are endless.

/ / / / / / / / / /


End file.
